Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Love Always, Charlie

I started to reread one of my favorite books: 
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
 
 
In high school, Andrea Bergman had a copy of this book 
and gave it to my brother to read.
I saw him reading the ragged green book and 
ended up reading it after wards.
Best idea yet.
I realized the book was ragged because it was passed down 
from people to people
and consisted of random commentary and highlighted quotes.
I thoroughly loved the concept and 
bought a copy of my own to pass around.
 I have no idea where the book is now, 
and that makes me happy
because Its a book that is meant to be read.
"Sam tapped her hand on the steering wheel. Patrick held his hand
outside the car and made air waves. And I just sat between them. After
the song finished, I said something.
“I feel infinite.”"

 "Maybe it’s sad that these are now memories.
 And maybe it’s not sad."

 
its the most twisted and sad book, 
which ironically makes it really good. A teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie",
who is an unconventional thinker 
and writes letters about the 
awkward times of adolescence 
 
 
Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
 he wrote a poem
And he called it "Chops"
 because that was the name of his dog
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
 and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
 and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
 took all the kids to the zoo
And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
 with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
 and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
 he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
 because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
 and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
 because of its new paint
And the kids told him
 that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
 with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed
 when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
 his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
 when he cried for him to do it.

Once on a paper torn from his notebook
 he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
 because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A
 and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
 because he never showed her
That was the year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
 of the Apostle's Creed went
And he caught his sister
 making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
 or even talked
And the girl around the corner
 wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her
 but he kissed her anyway
 because that was the thing to do
And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
 his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
 he tried another poem
And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
 and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
 because this time he didn't think
 he could reach the kitchen.
 
The poem sounds depressing,
 but if you read the book you love it.
And if you havent read it, then you must! 
 
Since I re-bought the book to re-read, 
I am going to pass it on again.
if you ever come across my copy, read it!
 
 
 
Love Always, 
Charlie
 

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