smash crash shatter crinkle
o glorious sound
plate glass
exploding splintering scattering
into seven thousand
sparkling shards

it came from my foot
the doer of the deed
beloved soccer ball
hexagonal panels black and white
launched in a graceful arc
off the scrubby green grass

it was a beautiful boot
consummate corner kick
soaring from sidewalk’s edge
past the cherry tree and
his stretched out arms
into the doomed window

he was there of course
my sao paulo buddy
constant companion
doing our best
to best each other
in math or football

Mrs. Kocsis
called him “Dick”
called me “Tater”
telling us that one day
we would rule the world
or. at least, her sixth-grade classroom

it was our fathers
who brought us together
grad students they in
psychology and microbiology
planting their families
in married students’ housing

bound by love
of the beautiful game
of quadratic equations and binomials
we bridged divides of
language and culture
the very best of friends

so we were there
that fateful afternoon
sharing the joy
if not the shame
(that was all mine)
of that most magnificent kick