Audio: George Saunders reads.

Today is to be Parts of the Parts of my

Sure, Jer Please do Point at parts of me while saying the name of it off our list of Words Worth Knowing.

Agespot

Finger

Wrist

At wrist Jer says, This one’s been broken, seems like.

Then pokes.

Ouch? he says.

Yes, I say.

Groin

Waist

You were no spring chicken, says Jerry.

I do not understand what you just said, please explain, I say.

You were not young, Jerry says. Your body is not the body of a young person.

Oh, that’s cool, I say. That’s cool, Jer.

Jer shakes his head his certain way Meaning: 89, you crack my ass up.

Long ago, perhaps one week, we had Explain Time, due to figure of speech crack my ass up All asses are precracked, turns out, even mine, which Jer helped me learn by taking of phonephoto.

Arm

Leg

Navel

Scar, on Stomach

Penis

All morning we continue learning and learning until no part of me remain.

And at night all night as every night a tape playing in here helps improve me our Syntax.

Have we done bellow? Jer says.

Makes loud startling sound.

Now you, Jer says.

I bellow.

So, what we are going to be bellowing at? Jer says. Whoever is standing across from us.

Whoever is standing across from us, I say.

Feel free to bellow words or phrases, he says.

HELLO! I bellow.

You are always so good at everything, 89, he says.

Then pours into me, so generous, by saying them, some words I may wish to bellow:

Bastard

Turd

Creep

Idiot

May we do Defining? I say.

Uh, sure, Jer says.

Turns out, all mean same:

Bastard = individual standing across from us.

Turd = individual standing across from us.

Creep = individual standing across from us.

Idiot = individual standing across from us.

89, I have always so far called you 89, Jer says. But tomorrow you are to become Greg. How’s that?

I am Greg? I say.

Will be, Jer says. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is, guess what? Job One Day.

Exciting! Have been waiting long for Job One Day Job One turns out per Jer is: high and noble as all getout Per Jer: I will stand for freedom For poor and sick Will defend weak From oppressors.

More Defining, with help of HandiPics:

Freedom = cartoon bird flies above land, smile on beak.

Poor = sad child, pockets sticking out of pants.

Sick = thin guy in bed, “X”s for eyes.

Weak = guy in desert, trying to reach water glass, failing.

Oppressor = tall guy with monster face sticks stick into body of weak as, in four HandiPics in row, weak gets more weak with each poke.

Why do oppressors wish to poke weak? I say.

They’re bad, says Jer. Have to be stopped.

From doing that, I say.

Correcto, says Jer. And you’re a big part of the solution.

What the what! as Jer might say.

Never have I felt being me to be so worth it so far.

Job One Day!

Bus, Jer says. Cohort.

Cohort = many new pals on bus All, like me, in greens.

Rumbling and we move.

Talk among yourselves, Jer says.

We do We do so Each of us say our names I say mine of Greg That one is Larry That one is Vince So is that one And that one And that one This one is Greg like me As is that one That one, Greg also So is that one Greg, near the front Here is Conor Seven Conors in all Eight Williams All happy Except Jer.

Jer, on phone: Hey, nice naming, Roberta. And that was your one damn job.

Cranky, I say. Crankypants.

Guess what, 89, Jer says soft ly You talk better than any of these other galoots.

True: my cohort speaks rather baby, somewhat low ly.

Because of you, Jer, I say.

Rumbling ends.

Ready, pal? Jer says. To bellow?

Hope so, I say.

Jer and other equal Supervisors lead us To: trees But something wrong: Our tree, in our HandiPic, has squirrel No squirrel at all near these trees! They better fix our HandiPic!

Supervisors say, Take off greens Fold and leave here Then give us new of various colors I look at ourselves naked with a rather shyness Having only previous seen own penis, groin, gut in own Room Valiant mirror We dress quick ly Follow Jer and Supervisors down hill Small white flowers bob as we Say, I have not walked this far in

Well, ever!

There they are, Jer says.

And yes there they So many Bastards, Turds, Creeps, Idiots standing across from us Between them and us: long low area I would term: river Filled not with water though but Police looking nervous.

I feel shy being first to bellow but love Jer so much I just bellow.

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Others join Gregs, Conors, Williams, Vinces All join Bellowing until our throat actually hurts.

BastardTurdCreepIdiot! one Conor bellows.

What a creative way to He just runs them all togeth

Do we ever stand for sick and poor, defend weak from oppressors! By bellowing at those BastardTurdCreepIdiot! Across that approximate Police river! O small white flowers underfoot O in each five tree tops, birds Sometimes a small branch will drop As if sung down By bird.

Well done, Jer says on bus. Really good job, everybody.

Greens brought back and we re-dress.

Get ready, Jer says.

Then it is Root Beer Which I have never None of us has Suddenly in love with Root Beer and would like another Can we? We may.

All the way home, warm happy Root Beer blur.

Jer looks over gives wink of: 89, you did good.

Which sure of course will well one’s heart.

Room Valiant has intercom problem A crackle will come All in Room Valiant may then clearly hear who are out there talking, while they, out there talking, do not know it.