Alphabets: Eta

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.