John Jacobi

Under a pseudonym, John lives up north in Michigan, near God. But I know who John is, so if you want to reach him with comments, prizes, invites, etc., RealPoetik will be happy to pass them along.

I. Rookie of the Year

Saw Chester Marcol walking through the

Little league parking lot with a kid in tow.

Twenty-plus years after leading the NFL

in scoring and vodka chugging.

He once lined up for a chip shot,

lined into the back of his center's head,

caught the ricochet on the fly, and stumbled into the end zone,

almost fumbling, but beating the hated Bears.

In the 1980s, wanting to end it all,he drank battery acid.

Helluva kick to it.

Gives speeches to the local high school kids now.

Works in a halfway house, got two kids and wife, lives in Dollar Bay.

I saw him under the Portage Lake Lift Bridge once, fishing.

(Stepdad Stan says he's always catching fish.)

Shook his hand and introduced my son, age 7, who said, "cool."

Seven years later, Chester still wears a Packers hat,

one of those shitty mesh-back numbers from Citgo.

But he's smiling, talking to his son,

pushing a lawn mower on the return trip past the park

where the potheads used to play Guts Frisbee every night.

John Jacobi