Eugene Michael Moreno

THERE WAS A BOY WHO'S WORLD ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE OPPISITE FROM OTHER PEOPLE, STARTING AT BIRTH, HE SEEMED TO REMEMBER DR. KENNEDY TURNING HIM UPSIDE DOWN AND SPANKING HIS BEHIND SO HARD HIS HAIR STOOD ON EDGE, NEVER TO LAY BACK DOWN. THAT WAS THE "UPSIDE DOWN" BEGINING.

ALL THROUGH LIFE AND UP TO TODAY, HE FEELS HE'S LIVED LIFE A LITTLE "UPSIDE DOWN." (NOT A BAD THING) MOSTLY GOOD.

BEING THE LAST KID OF SIX, HE WAS ALWAYS BEING TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. EITHER HE WAS GETTING SWUNG AROUND IN A CIRCLE BY HIS FEET, ONLY TO LAY DIZZY IN THE GRASS FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE ETERNITY, WAITING FOR EVERYTHING TO GET RIGHT SIDE UP AGAIN.

HE REMEMBERS SLEEPING WITH HIS "BRA-LESS" SISTER ONLY TO FIND HIMSELF LAYING ON THE "UPSIDE DOWN" END OF THE BED OR LEAVING THE ROOM ALL TOGETHER JUST TO BE SURE NOT TO SEE! THE "YOU KNOW WHATS".

HE REMEMBERS THE PUPPIES HE WOULD HAVE SLEEPING WITH HIM IN HIS BED, AND WAKING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ONLY TO FIND THEY HAD PEED OR POOPED RIGHT NEXT TO HIS HEAD. ONCE AGAIN SENDING HIM TO THE "UPSIDE DOWN" END OF THE BED.

HE REMEMBERS BEING HELD DOWN BY ONE OR TWO SISTERS OR BROTHER AND BEING TICKLED TO THE BRINK OF DEATH BY THE OTHERS, CRYING OR PEEING HIS PANTS, OR BOTH.

OH YEAH! HE'S SURE AS AN INFANT ALL FIVE OF HIS SISTERS OR BROTHER DROPPPED HIM ON HIS HEAD AT LEAST ONCE. (TO THIS DAY, WOULD THEY ADMIT IT?)

HE REMEMBERS BEFORE HE COULD WALK, CRAWLING AROUND AT THE MANY HOUSE PARTIES HIS PARENTS WOULD THROUGH, SEEING ALL THE ADULTS FROM THE DOWN SIDE UP? RECOGNIZING SHOES AND LEGS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. (HE'S GLAD A CERTAIN SISTER WORE CHONIES BACK THEN, OR DID SHE?)

HE REMEMBERS GETTING THROWN AROUND BY HIS BROTHER, LANDING SO HARD ON HIS HEAD, IT LITERALLY TURNED HIS WORLD "UPSIDE DOWN".

HE REMEMBERS RIDING THE HANDLE BARS OF HIS BROTHERS BLUE 5 SPEED SHWINN BIKE, GOING TO STONES LIQUOR STORE, GETTING HIS FOOT STUCK IN THE SPOKES, FALLING OFF, AND YES, LANDING "UPSIDE DOWN".

HE'S NEVER LIVED THE TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLE AS ONE WOULD KNOW IT. HE HIT THE STREETS YOUNG AND FULL OF VENOM. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, HE'S LIVED MANY LIVES, MANY TIMES, AND IN MANY WAYS..."UPSIDE DOWN".

FOR THOSE OF YOU HE LOVES AND THOSE WHO LOVE HIM I'M SURE, HE WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING.

HE VOWS TO END HIS CURRENT STATUS IN LIFE "RIGHT SIDE UP".

WRITTEN BY GENE MORENO

2007