When I was a kid I didn’t have cable, so Nickelodeon was a Holy Grail only
attainable at my aunt’s house on the weekends. That’s why when we went to
Universal Studios it was my dream to get slimed on the set of Figure It Out. It
would’ve been a new baptism into the Holy Church of Kablam, where Nick
Toons were gospel. Cousin Skeeter was the pastor & Keenan was the deacon. We
got drunk off of orange soda inside our chalices which would explain why Kel
was religiously in attendance. Truthfully back then I was just a Rugrat hoping to
say “Hey!” to Arnold but if push came to shove I would settle for meeting
someone dressed as a Wild Thorn Berry.
Chris L. Butler is an African American and Dutch, Pushcart nominated poet, and essayist born and raised in West Philadelphia. Chris was selected as a 2020 HUES Scholar by the HUES Foundation. He was a participant in the 2020 Palette Poetry BIPOC Chapbook Workshop. His work can be found in Rejection Letters, FlyPaper Lit, Perhappened Mag, Trampset, and others. Chris currently spends his time between Houston, Texas and Calgary, Alberta, as his wife is Canadian.
