His Name in a Tagged Photo, 2024

He's smiling in the photo. He looks fine.

I scrolled past twice and stopped.

His name came up in someone else's line

of friends, the way things drop

back into view. I knew him once. I told

a teacher something true enough to land

and left the other half. He got a hold

of a week's suspension. I had planned

nothing, which is worse. I was afraid

and I was thirteen and I let him take

the full amount. I watched him walk the shade

end of the hallway, heard his sneakers make

that sound on tile. He didn't look back.

I didn't call out.

He's smiling in the photo.

That's the part I can't put down.