Response to "Gentleman's Agreement"

He climbed the old oak tree
when no was home
and leapt onto the roof
of the sagging tool shed

He sat for hours
feet dangling off the edge
of the creaking structure
listening to the hardened
brown acorns
that came falling occasionally
like suicide jumpers
landing with a hollow
crack on the rippled
tin roof

He wanted so bad
to toss the acorns
in their tiny rugged caps
and send them sailing
off into the atmosphere
but he knew
there would never be
anyone to catch them

And so he sat instead
listening
as they fell to their deaths
through the gray morning air
landing with subtle clicks
on the roof
of the crippled shed

When he heard the thunder
of his fathers pickup truck
and saw the dust stirred up
from its roaring belly
he slid down from
the edge of the sloped
tin rooftop and
ran into the house
hoping he hadn't been noticed
and that the acorns
would forgive him
in the morning