On the bright Saturday morning, I woke up especially early,
excited,
pockets full of change at the ready.
I dressed myself as well as I could
so I could sneak out to the corner newsstand.
I had a designation with destiny.
Today I was buying Spidey Super Stories.

I had seen the cover:
It featured the mighty Thor on a stormy day
with our hero, Spider-Man.
Maybe the villain Loki was thrown in for good measure,
who can be sure?
It was breathtaking. It had to be mine.

I got up early to ensure the magazine would still be available
by the time I got there.
You never know when these things might sell out!

I quietly left the house
closed the door behind me
took the elevator down
and softly closed the building door.
The super was probably somewhere else anyway.

I probably did not skip down to the newsstand.
I had more restraint than that.
But I got there
and I handed my money over
and I got my easy-read comic book
and I took it with me to the basketball court
where I could drop it to watch the bigger kids shoot some hoops.
That’s where I was when my mother found me
informing me she was worried
when she discovered my bed empty in the morning
and had to track me down.

It hadn’t occurred to me
that I might appear kidnapped.
It could have been a job for Spider-Man!
But no, it was just a job for my Mom.

I got home safely that day
and I had Spidey Super Stories with me.