Bopscotch

By Refried Bean

This book is a collection of poems, blog posts, and journal entries from a social work and spirituality class. It is like a sequel to "The Joke That Keeps On Joking."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Refried Bean
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463659267

Refried Bean

Refried Bean is from Greenville, SC. Refried worked in a bookstore for twelve years and has an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Refried now lives in the Bronx near a Stop and Shop.

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Bopscotch

Copyright 2020 by Refried Bean

Distributed by Smashwords, Inc.

Acknowledgements

Jeff C, Arnold, Nance, Trinie, Charles, Val, Kristine, Harriet, Angelika, Maria, David, Adam, Ying, Soldiers, Ramos, Sir, Andrea, Magnim, Cleo, Chenise, Molly, Lorna B, Chaya, Anika N, Dr. Pou, Dr. Rojas, Ariana, Jennifer, Sharon Young, Michele, Linda, the Shanks, Katy, Mia, Margaret, Wendy, Samantha, Flickinger, Angela, Food, Claire Marie, Christina, Al, Vera, Ginger, Amy, Paulette, Avril, the Simpsons, Sheryl S, Dr. Belok, Dr. Ephraim, Dana, Jackie, Grandmother, Elizabeth, and Doug, Greg, Jessica, Andrea, Jada, Dunya, John, Noemi, Minda, Janie, Barbara, Grace, Bob, Audrey, Stephen and Samuel, Alice Bonner, Ronald, Angel, Kim, Christina, Amanda, Jessica, Eileen, Angela, Chef Elizabeth, Katie, nice person, John, Amy, Jessica, Iday, Joeli, Guy, Jake, Jun, Brittany, Mary Beth, Jason, Chris, John, Stephanie, Ritchie, Lisa, bean people, David, Food Bank NYC people, Philip Burt, Neesa Suncheuri, Cynthia Madison, Katherine Kuhfuss, Beth Randolph, Wendy Mauritz, Catherine Polit, Claire Bateman, Lark and Beverly, Flynn, Jenny Sharpe, Annette, Marah, Coop, CW, Kevin, Travis, Ashley, Tia, Elijah, Alex, Nikki, John, Tiffany, Tiffany, Drew, Melissa, Raymond, Adam and Dana, the Freels, Kendall, Gray, Greg, Mark, Rod, Leigh, Slim, Jason, Milagros, Steven, Tim, Rob, Jackie, Brian, Ercoli, Tim, Aaron, George, Jamie, Jen, Kathryn, Ann, Angel, Steve, Amy, Joannie, Roxanne, Natalie, Rebecca, Han, Sally Brown, Sharon, Erdra, Doug, Barbara, Sarah, Gina, Jacqueline, Maria, Ellen, Leslie, Connie, Sue, Adam, Rhonda, Megan, Julie, Jonathan, Kim, Audrey, Steven P and Nuwan, school friends, NAMI donors, and everyone yet to be thanked.

Thank you, Simha and Chanel. Thanks also, Chelsea Williams, for helping me so much. I don’t remember the other names but thank y’all too.

Thanks also to the NYU Animal Assisted Therapy Student Group, the Latino Social Work Student Organization, Pet Partners, Good Dog Foundation, Westside Campaign Against Hunger, Xavier Mission, Christ Disciples Ministries, Evangel Church, NYU Spirituality and Social Work Certificate program, NYC Tenant Rights Advocates, Duane Reade, CVS, Panda House, Pizza Nova, Dunkin Donuts Inwood, Dominos Pizza, Subway, Tropical Smoothie, 99 cent store, Key Food, Fine Fare, Park View, Tryon Public House, Refried Beans restaurant, Cachapas Y Mas, St. Marks and Westside Vets, MTA, Fine Fare, Associated Groceries, Twitter and Instagram friends, UPS, FedEx Office, Staples, Washington Square Diner, Galanga, Oren’s, Maison Kaiser, Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, 34th Street Precinct, Mt. Sinai Urgent Care, NYP, El Nido, Mexican Coalition, NY Cares, Doctors Without Borders, Jonathan Merritt, VCFA friends, Haywood Mall, Dr. Nadkarni, Fire Truck people, Ken Hellier, JC, NYC Well.

Thank you twitter friends: Jose, Alana, Sara, Moody, Kimberly, Shay, Southern Fried, Joshua, Donald, Marlanda, Laura, Andrew, Sue.

Thank you, Drena Fagen, a COVID hero.

Thank you, cops, medical, and grocery people.

in memory of everyone lost to COVID 19 and thanks to all who helped

Well everyone, it’s about 2 am on April 12. It is now Easter morning, kind of. It might really still count as the middle of the night. And I think the Easter Bunny usually shows up in the early morning. I love the Easter Bunny. He is my favorite holiday character. But I am thankful for JC too. I am going to apply to be one of the real Easter Bunny’s helpers in heaven. I really love jelly beans and when I was a kid and would imagine what heaven might be like, I used to imagine being escorted to single room with bright white walls that had a low pit full of strawberry jelly beans that you jumped into. That was it. Just a room full of jelly beans like the gold coins from the old duck tales cartoon scene. And beyond that I had no other ambitions or expectations for heaven whatsoever. Now I think of heaven all the time and am still trying to understand how Judgment Day plays out. I think if Judgement Day takes any time at all, then it seems theologically reasonable to consider the possibility of a purgatory that could last many years and involve a process of continued experiences and love and healing in order to keep knowing God more and be ready for the heights of heaven. But I also believe in the atonement once and for all, and in not wasting this chance on earth to express the much needed saving faith.

Anyway, I’ve been working on this poetry collection for a few weeks and compiled some journal assignments from a social work certificate program I just completed at NYU. And that is essentially the book, though I had planned to add more poems and prayers. But when I worked on the cover a few hours ago, the blobs I planned turned out to look like Easter eggs, so I am now considering publishing this book tomorrow. I do not know if that is what is best.

But it could be good to keep this book short, because I broke some social rules in it and even went past some of my own norms of what I do and don’t say. There is a slur in this book that a lot of people probably won’t want to tolerate, but I think it could draw attention to some real problems from people trying to control everyone even down to their personal relationships.

There are a few other things that people might freak out about, but I think really it is good to use my freedom to go ahead and say things that other people can work out themselves if they have a problem. I have really been squelched and silenced in my life, with many attempts by people who want to use me as a puppet of some kind, too, or to rejoice in making it seem like I represent their cause and their