Raised By Everyone

When I was a child everyone’s mother on my block corrected me. Every adult in the neighborhood watched me vigilantly, carefully. Watching for me to do something wrong, So they could call my mother. On the way to school I sometimes took a risk, Knowing full well I’d get a spanking when I got home. Sometimes it was worth it. On a daily basis, I was called to a variety of porches to apologize. This was the 60’s In a small Iowa town. It’s the way it was. None of us questioned it. One Wednesday Mr. Joe Came out on his porch And yelled, “If you don’t stop dawdling, You’ll be late for the bell!” We did not know what dawdling was, But my sister and I ran to school, Sliding into our desk seats seconds Before the bell rang. Mr. Joe had saved us from Staying after school with the teacher. We started waving at him every day after that. “We are going to play hooky” I told my twin sister one fine day. We were on our way back to second grade, after a hot bowl of Tomato soup with a zillion crackers, and an ice cold milk I refused To drink because I hate milk. When Mom’s car pulled up My blood ran cold. My sister started screaming and Ran right to her. I was much more difficult to catch. Neighbors ran out to tell her where I was hiding every fifteen feet. I got switched all the way Back to school, And decided I hated Neighbors. No child could have been Snatched by a stranger In my home town in The 60’s. They would have had him Down on the ground under A sea of knees before He finished his first Sentence to us kids. We were loved, protected, and raised by everybody. Watched as closely as caramel candy at Christmas time.