Paul

In junior high,

Paul,

misses 2 weeks of class.

All his friends,

including me,

visit his hospital.

No more sugar.

Strict diet.

I'm diabetic

he says.

We give him

flowers and bears

He shows us 

his needles.

His mom

reaches in

her red pocket book,

pulls out a twenty.

Go eat

she says.

We run downstairs

to the hospital cafeteria's

McDonalds.

We order coke, fries,

two cheese burgers

and eat in

silence.