Work Text:
T h e - q u i c k - b r o w n -
Haired boy steals his lunch,
In preschool,
And he lets him.
Which his Dad tells him he shouldn't,
Mustn't do.
So the next time,
He hits him.
And he's still the one in trouble,
With someone.
T h e - q u i c k - b r o w n - f o x - j u m p s -
Over the fence.
He's ten. He doesn't need to,
Be here.
After his brothers, and cousins and others
The head just says -
"He's a Milkovich".
T h e - q u i c k - b r o w n - f o x - j u m p s - o v e r - t h e - l a z y -
Boy who doesn't,
Have money for his,
'stuff'. Who Mickey
Gives an extra day to Get It,
Because they're only,
Fifteen.
Iggy sighs, "he can't -
Shan't.
Ever again give someone time to break free
Before you,
Break them,"
Away from all that now,
Anyway,
In juvie. In court. Into everything
He's supposed to be.
And he thinks,
Fuck Education.
Even (especially) when he meets
T h e - q u i c k-
Gallagher to jump into his life,
And affections.
There's no time,
Which he thinks
He understands too late.
But learned much earlier,
To prove that you're capable,
Of what people want you,
To be.
T h e -
One person. One teacher. One guy.
Who wanted, Mickey to stay
At the South Side High.
Would never have taught him as much.
As his relationship,
With Ian,
Which made him free
And he knows,
That people think he can't Fucking read.
He isn't even sure,
How far they're wrong.
Because he probably wouldn't,
Couldn't. Read Dickens or Austin.
But back,
In the day he could read enough for Dad's runs.
For the his business to succeed
To get himself freed
To do what he needed
To do.
He knows now. That what matters
Is he can read his vows
And read Terry's
Fucking
Gravestone.