That Much Is True - Valentino Assenza

I think of 17

I think of Puerto Vallarta

I think of spring training, 

and the Jays repeating.

I think of how do you say 

“Happy Birthday” in Spanish?

I think of escaping 

matriarchal embarrassment at the resort.

I think of Charles, 

two years older than me

A fellow theater kid with slightly more flex

I think of one week 

friendships with expiration dates.

I think of him miraculously getting

 me into Carlos O’Brien’s in town. 

I think of March Break Madness

I think of din and bass-

American college kids wall to wall.

I think of I shouldn’t be here, and smile.

I think of Corona Extra and an extra Corona

I think of salt before, and lemon afterwards

I think of following Charles 

into an abyss of crowd with extra cling

I think of a moving mob 

amid a DJ movement  

ending fade 

Dee-Lite transitions to 1981 

inducting us all into a Human League.

And then I think of Wendy, 

at least I think that was her name 

the song starts at the 

same time her 5’3 frame throws 

her arms around my neck

I think of lower hips + lower hips 

= hypnotized, 

how we sway in time

I think of seeing other kids 

doing this at the gym

dances to Shabba Ranks 

I think is this really happening to me?

“Don’t, don’t you want me?”

I think is this a trick question?

I think of cherry lip gloss scents 

when she asks me “where are you from?”

I think of her hair 

gently brushing my face when 

her subtle wet lips tell my ear

“The University Of Texas”

I think of everything that doesn’t 

have to do with stiff or hard, 

I think of baseball, I think of baseball, I think of baseball. 

I think of Charles’ laugh

“It’s normal,” he says, 

“She wouldn’t get that close to you if she didn’t want to feel something.”

Call it a metaphor.

I think of the distant trinity of our lives.

I think of how they won’t believe me in Toronto.

I think of how the story unravels after that.

A poolside stranger congregation at 3am

repeatedly told to keep tt down

Wendy slips her foot out of her 

sandal puts it on my knee

“Is this ok?”

I nod. 

That much is true.

https://youtu.be/Q2Vfurttyb4?si=VgXh8iHJ7dl5LlcM

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valentino Assenza has been a published poet and spoken word artist for over two decades. He has published four chapbooks of poetry: Wandering Absence, Il Ritorno (Labour Of Love Productions), Quiet Confessions of a Loudmouth and Make Our Peace With Rattlesnakes (Lyricalmyrical Press). He has had numerous pieces of poetry published in anthologies such as Labour Of Love and Descant Magazine. He has read and performed his poetry throughout Canada and the U.S.A.

Valentino was a member of the Toronto Poetry Slam team in 2009 and 2010 and has performed his poetry at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word and The National Poetry Slam. Valentino sat on the committees for the Art Bar Poetry Series and Toronto Poetry Project.  He is currently host and producer of the  literary radio show Howl  on CIUT 89.5FM Tuesday nights 10pm - 11pm.  He is also the curator of the Off The Page Poetry Reading Series.  His new collection “What Roller Coasters Taught Me” is due to be released by Freehand Books in Spring 2027.  He lives with his wife Angela in Grimsby Ontario