I'm in love. I'm not to familiar with poetry but out of every poet I've ever herd he's the best. He really stands out. His style, his flow- rhythm, his energy. Amazing.
Ok, I don't want to sound like a creep, but it's bound to happen. Rives, you have changed my life. Before I stumbled across your work I had no idea words could have such a compelling power to evoke empathy and inspire people. You have shown me what I really want to do with my life and I want to thank you; hopefully in person someday.
"The kid didn't levitate much, maybe that far off the ground. But it's that much more than me and it's that much more than you." That line defiantly changes the way you think. That is those who are open to that change.
Rives is telling his story from third person to allow us to reflect in our own "boy who can levitate". Any more personal information about the boy would remove this effect. The beauty is that Rives is the boy's knight in shining armor. Rives never saw the boy levitate, but he says so to give the boy 15 minutes of admiration. Admiration he would never otherwise have. He goes out of his way to tell everyone. That's why the end is so poetic.
I know this a late response but I figure others may be missing out in not full understanding this poem. As always poetry is open to interpretation but what I received from this performance was this: Rives lived in a neighborhood where a special child (seemingly autistic) would often be seen riding his bike, attending cookouts, and fairs. Rives would often watch the kid, fascinated by the boy’s mannerisms. Rives admires the kids ability to think outside the box like lost in his own world though his unique understanding. When speaking to the kid on multiple occasions, Rives would listen to the kids words and try to understand them by sort of seeing through his eyes. For example: the boy lost his sandwich and said “...it always changes.” because the boy enjoyed whatever meal was made for him that day. He would enjoy each meal so much that whatever lunch he would be eating that day would then become his new favorite sandwich. Then after being speared by the shish-kabob, he sat separated and alone (much like special Ed children usually are.) and said “...Yeah, like a nosebleed. Only backwards.” Because usually nosebleeds come from the top of the nose this time the blood came from the bottom of his mouth and the boy explained the sensation as being backwards. Lastly, at the fair the boy explains to Rives that the balloon was “...isn’t magic it’s a chemical.” Which was unique because while most young children are mesmerized by balloons and how they defy gravity as if enchanted with some magic, this boy saw past the fascination and understood that the reason for the interesting effect was because of the helium inside of it. Rives then talks about how he spread a rumor that the boy could “levitate” to intrigue the other neighborhood kids. He does this because he knows the boy has such a beautiful and unique way of seeing the world and wants the other kids to accept and listen to him like they would if they thought he had a super power. The boys power actually being that he has an abstract and pure perspective of everything slightly beyond our understanding because it’s so different.
No not at all. My sister is mentally handicapped. She makes up for it by literally reading minds and revealing your thoughts out loud in front of people. It has caused more than one case of uncontrollable laughter around the table. This poem makes me happy. My sister isn't alone now.
I always felt that it's a poem that humanise a child whom is bullied because of their neuro divergence, and its about seeing them clearly and deeply and realising how magical their worldview us. A poem to comfort the afflicted but also to show how neuro-divergence is also a gift.
@RawReality okay so 4 years late and I'm sure someone else already said it but......I couldn't help snigger at the fact you wanted to "meat" him so bad.....still though I "holey" agree with the rest of your statement....
As much as I can tell...the boy who can levitate is the young boy with no friends. Whenever we "see" the boy, he is alone and doing something sort of strange/klutzy/etc. His brother picks on him. He runs over his own lunch, and spazzes about it. Emily hits a shish kabob into his mouth. He is explaining balloons to people as if they don't know. His hallooween costume makes no sense. He is the boy who doesn't dress himself right.
hrrmmm.... I'm thinking that he means when you taste something it goes in your mouth but it tastes like a backwards nosebleed because it's not going in, it's going out.. lmao pfft
