Scholastic Dream

She could hardly wait to begin her very first day of school. (Which is rare indeed for a child, as a general rule!) She'd watched kids thro' her window as they daily trudged, To the little school house - this the little towhead begrudged! The big day arrived and Mother with her little girl in tow, Held her hand as she skipped along, her pretty face aglow! One thing troubled her though, much to her chagrin; Two front teeth were missing, spoiling her winsome grin! She was dressed in a pretty frock and lace-trimmed pinafore, And was very proud of the shiny patent-leather shoes she wore! Her hair was fixed in pigtails, so becoming to the little lass. No doubt she'd be the prettiest girl in her first-grade class! She joined the other kids and found, much to her distress, That most were bawling, hiding behind their mother's dress! She joined the howling mob when she found to her consternation, That this was not the first day of school, but only registration! A few days later she fulfilled her youthful scholastic dream. She loved the learning game and excelled to the extreme! Years later she took her own two towheads to school with pride! Like her, on the very first day of school, neither of them cried! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved) This poem is based on a true account of my wife, Vera, and her first day at school!