༺ bucket ༻

we were duffers at footy
but my mate had a penalty
eight or nine years old
school playground

somehow
he managed to half miss
spin around and fall over

the ball lazed away
diagonally backwards

everyone laughed
except Oxley
he flew into a rage
and started kicking
my supine chum
kicking hard too
so I pushed him away
what else?

the red mist had come
but I wasn’t ready
he punched me repeatedly
piston like
both hands
in the face

the
feel
of
the
wool
of
his
gloves
on
my
cheek
bones

surprisingly ineffective

I couldn’t hit him back
where his piston arms
were pumping
so moving my thumb
over my finger
door knocking position
aimed at his temple
swung round the outside
and connected

the squishy hard impact
didn’t feel like much
but down he went
like a dropped towel

curled into a ball
we left him

the footy continued

later he was seen orbitting
around
around
the not so playful
playground
handkerchief to his eyes
head down

“sorry Hughie”
he said
when the bell rang