Suicide Kid

water-pistol in hand
the kid
jumped out at us
from God knows where
clearly
he liked that water-pistol of his
shooting at us
until we pretended to panic
and ran away screaming
the kid laughed his head off
he looked like such a hero

later
we saw him again
at dusk
alone in the glow of the setting sun
sitting on the grass
pointing the pistol at himself
he put it in his mouth
with total concentration
no longer interested in us

there’s something strange about that kid
you said     I knew
what you meant

but since he lived next-door to me
I knew what was really going on:
every time he went out to play
his mother would fill his water-pistol
with milk

however
I kept
this fact from you
just in case you were disappointed

SUICIDE KID