By Thomas Page
People often confuse my brother with me
Because we are close in age.
There was a time when we were about the same in all regards:
Same hair
Same teeth
Same height
Same clothes.
They would call us the Page Twins or the Page Boys
As we would meander from place to place
As the older’s star sign under the month Juno
With the vivacity of Janus’ goat or alligator.
The priest didn’t know which was John and which was Chris
The problem was that none of us were Chris
But he snapped his fingers and stage-whispered
Chrischrischrischris
Until we understood which pageboy it was
And brought the book for him to read.
He was two years my senior schoolwise
And I had the same teachers as he did for the most part.
I would respond to John regardless of the circumstance
Because the only john in the room was me.
The teachers even gave the same lecture to me as they did him.
Now, I’ve told you that when you write your pagination to write your last name Mister
Mister what?
Mister Uh
Mister what?
Mister Page
I got my marks back.
I thought that when I went to my own college
That I would finally be what I was called
And that was true until Junior year when
Jim, Jim Page?
The Page motto is
Suck it up
So I did and was Jim for a springtime
And possibly forever more
I’m not sure she ever did get my first name.
