He's Rog to me, just down the street --
                                                                       children in search of a world.
                                                                       He's a scientist, knows the inner workings
                                                                       of model airplanes, cars, and later, computers,
                                                                       while I'm a pragmatist seeking a path,
                                                                       envious of this multi-layered man-child.
                                                                       He knew how to repair his Hudson
                                                                       as I wore out clunker after clunker.
                                                                       We played basketball, baseball,
                                                                       killed chickens for a chicken farmer,
                                                                       raced our bicycles, talked about girls,
                                                                       partied after proms, went on stage together,
                                                                       and, too soon, from the same stage
                                                                       our lives went in very different directions.
                                                                       Then every five or ten years
                                                                       we'd shake hands at alumni banquets
                                                                       and class reunions and never once mention
                                                                       how terribly important we were to each other
                                                                       a very long time ago, but he's still Rog to me,
                                                                       just down the street, and I admire with curiosity
                                                                       how he has built such a beautiful life.