Day Plunks Them Into Puddles

They get off the bus fresh from their houses Crisp pink cheeks Glossy hair Shoes pristine Bows in their hair Smiles for their friends Smell fresh Look clean The day plunks them into puddles Rolls them around in dirt Throws them off slides, watches them twirl onto grassy knolls Gives them sweet smells of reality Tastes of earth and salt We put them back onto buses Not so bouncy Not so proud They are unrecognizable Wiser now Not as innocent Or as pristine It is a wonder their families recognize them