Serendipity In Size 7

Lugging heavy books from the library

I lumber under the dim

light of the lamppost

towards my dorm room in Boyd Hall of West Liberty college;

the bibliotheque is now closed and my brain's toggle switch

is now in the "off" position

...Upon opening my dorm-room door, I am gruffly greeted

by harsh light and a harsh sight

of silly fratboys

giddily asking my party--yes/study--no roomie Trish

for a pair of her delicates--PANTY RAID!!!

an Animal House moment, to be sure

With a grain o' grace, I muster a grin

(a grinchy grin)

and wordlessly whirl in slo-mo to exit tout de suite

Halfway across a cool drawl of darkness,

(i.e., the quad at night)

I remember a forgotten textbook that I need;

Foundations of Linguistics must be lonely on the bookshelf,

I must in my mind...

geekstepping double-time back to Boyod Hall

to retrieve the turgid tome,

I am struck

by a manchild mob

crowded under the college union lamppost

--or rather, I am struck by the sight

of clueless fratboys oohing and ahhing over

a pristine, petal-pink, satin G-string

(belong to ME--not my devil-may-care-roomate)

being held up high, trophy-like...

What the FRIC (ative)? I think

Miffed and mortified, I hurry by

feeling very much like Molly Ringwald's

classic character in 16 Candles

...Candlewax drips of decades later,

my college-sweetheart husband and I

chuckle over the "underguchies-in-the-spotlight" incident;

wry smiles

a-flicker