Throw Back for the Sonnet (Echo) Poem, #VerseLove '24. Class of 1998, Sister's Class (their Junior Year). The Winter of Teddy's Drumming

I knew over the weekend that I was going to shout out to Teddy Mascari with one of my #VerseLove poems, simply because Facebook is what it is, and I've seen who he is for almost 4 decades: a teacher, an instructor, a judge, a husband, and very proud dad. He was two years ahead of me in school but because of marching band, our parents bonded. I was a little brother who went along for the ride, always in the bleachers with a book, but a love for performance (even though I wouldn't understand it until year's later when I began to think about the tradition, the evolution, the growth, and the art form...sport of the arts. Teddy posted about Avon High School's miraculous winter guard performance last weekend and I knew he was heading to Dayton this week for the drum-line competition and work.

I've been thinking about how he's provided a cadence for my life...this kid two years older than me who drummed my sister and Missy and others in to the gym. It's a beat I find myself tapping on tables from time to time....and I'm sure there's been numerous other beats he's maintained over the years. Magical fellow. Great family. Dedicated dad (his boys went into the football direction). The journeys are always beautiful, but the sonnet challenge (with an echo rhyme at the end of each line) given yesterday seemed to naturally lead towards Teddy. So, Wola. A Thursday poem.