Someone said “shin” again,
There was a wild stamping of hands on the
ground,
A kicking of feet, and the fit
Of laughter overtook me too,
And that was important, as important
As Joe Barone asking me how I was
Through his tears, picking me up
And dusting me off with hands like swatters,
And though my head felt heavy,
I played on till dusk
Missing flies and pop-ups and grounders
And calling out in desperation things like
“Yours” and “take it,” but doing all right,
Tugging at my cap in just the right way,
Crouching low, my feet set.
“Hum baby” sweetly on my lips.
—“How I Learned English,”
Gregory Djanikan
How do the other boys treat the speaker after he gets hit?
They are unfriendly to him.
They make him sad and lonely.
They accept him as a friend.
They push him away.