2/2/12

930 to SPIDER-EYE














Higgy’s “Road Dog,” the white prisoner who claims he “accidentally” spit on the wrong brother—as if he could take back the airborne loogie and aim again. I call him Spider-Eye, not because of the tattooed tear drops running down his left cheek—I’ve seen more tear drops on sad faces than on paisley neckties—no, it was something less permanent that attracted my attention: the reddened eyeball encased in a mass of bruised yellowy flesh. I hadn’t seen Higgy in weeks; upon his return I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not what you think,” he said, referring to his history of fighting. “A spider bit me.”

Higgy’s worse than Belch; he’s a real roller-coaster of emotion. I sometimes wonder whether the cuts on his forearms are his way of ticking off the hours, days, weeks, months, or years. Maybe it’s not shear boredom; after all, he did confide in me once that he wanted to kill himself because his family shunned him. “I don’t know what to do,” he said. “It’s all I think about. How can I get these thoughts out of my head?” Besides filling out the standard mental health service referral form I offered him the following advice, “Why don’t you start running?” and then after a moment of reflection, I added, “Physical exhaustion is a good thing and far less permanent.” I can still see him outside my classroom window running the prison track; for whatever reason, I can’t help but think he’s going to be okay.

 *****
During the month of January yours truly jogged 142.8 miles in 19 hours 11 minutes 49 seconds for an average mile split of 8 minutes 4 seconds. Not too bad for a 48-year old convict teacher.

9 comments:

jodi said...

J.R.-Your running is an amazement to me. All exercise is good for what ails ya-but I'll have to stick to boxing. It also helps to clear out the cobwebs. Keep up the good, healthy, work cuz you look really good as a result.

Charles Gramlich said...

Damn man. Training for the zombie apocalypse?

Rick said...

Keep running, but don't forget that novel...

the walking man said...

Well brother that is 19 hours 48 minutes and seconds you'll never get back. I think you should box Jodie. Where some protection I hear she kicks.

ivan@creativewriting.ca said...

Whoa! Makes me tired.
I run not these days, neither do I write, at least put pen to paper (or white marks on black space) on the new proposed novel.

Oh these new February blahs over here!

Seems to me lately that my new book should be titled "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Loafer".

Andy said...

Those tear drop tatoos are supposed to indicate that the wearer has committed a homicide. I overheard one tatoo artist say that he would not do them without some proof that the customer actually killed someone.

Anonymous said...

JR Congrats on the reinvention. Andi I agree with the documentation. MDOC OTIS provides that for us. So many of our tear drop wearers are baby rapers but of course don't want to be known as such. When they get too big for their britches I always tell them to keep it up and their cases will be posted on my classroom fishbowl windows. That gets then a hidin, and shuts a pie hole all in the same breath. MW

Anonymous said...

Jim, Great job on the jogging/running mileage!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!! --Bro, Ron

Whitenoise said...

Dude, we have a similar pace at a similar age (turns out I'm a year older!) 'Course, you can write circles around me and you have a better smile...

Best wishes!