a crowd blossomed
in front of the stadium 

it was nearly kickoff
and sun blanketed the town 

mountains nestled
town people & strangers
like a brother w/ big shoulders
& a congenial disposition
they were feverishly
foxy on three levels
and it wasn’t the devil
nor anyone from his descent

it was more religious than magical.
if religion used to be the opium
of the people before communist Russia,
then, today, football is our opium. 

we drank, laughed and cheered.
the boy next to me said his father
called him his good luck charm 

and, the way i perceived it,
he was. 

Penn State won  

and we found night to be
equally magically delicious