The Slash After the Bench

Ages 15-18

Yehoshua puts a pencil slash after the first line of his short poem.

Under the bench, a yellow leaf stays dry. / The rain has all the other leaves to try.

He reads both lines to himself. Then he turns his copy toward Zalmen.

"I'll follow," Zalmen says. He takes a second copy.

Yehoshua mouths the opening word once, correctly.

He looks up at Zalmen.

"Un... over the bench..."

"Under," Zalmen says.

Yehoshua starts again.

"Under the bench, a yellow leaf stays dry."

"The rain," Zalmen supplies immediately.

Yehoshua closes his mouth. His finger rests on the slash.

Zalmen looks at the next line.

"Has all the other..."

Yehoshua reaches for the second copy. Zalmen lets him take it.

He sets it facedown between them. He puts his own copy on the table, with the slash visible.

"I'll start again."

"All right."

Yehoshua reads the first line without changing the opening word.

At the slash, he stops.

Zalmen waits.

Yehoshua lifts his eyes from the page and reads the second line.

He leaves the slash where it is.