The Cast

Little children slip and get hurt sometimes, in their daily play.
Mine was worse than others… he’s All Boy they would always say.
Not a comforting thought… when my little love, would do it all again.
Frustrations and worries would mount, as to my own son, harm would come.
So I eventually became more than prepared for everything that came along.
He was more than daring, as he spread his wings, his will so strong.

At each event I’d remind him that safety, was the key word to know.
But I’d always find out later that he didn’t remember, what I’d bestowed.
So after that, every single time I’d always remind him of his very first cast. 
The first was at 3 and ½ as he was running and playing, on the tumbling mats. 
When of course he stumbled, 2 toes going north and 3 toes going south.
A cast was in order that lasted one whole week, before practically cracking in half.
The next was reinforced doubly to withstand a whole lot more, after that.
Next week brought another visit to fix a crumbling cast, once more.
It probably had nothing to do… with him hanging upside down on the jungle gym.
This time it was double, doubly reinforced and worked until everyone began to swim.
Even with three counselors watching, he found enough moisture to tear it apart 
again.
Finally at the end of 6 more weeks it was time for the crazy thing to come off.
The next day, you guessed, he tripped and for 3 more weeks they put the cast back 
on.
Now don’t you worry, it eventually, finally, truly did come off…
But next time, it was somewhere else… they soon had to put a new cast on.
The counselors were good and so very kind, and no one else got hurt, except mine.
Every one apologized, as he got hurt, but no one could ever stop him in time.
He was a crafty wild man great at evading, when his mind found the next target, to 
want.
And Fear wasn’t in his vocabulary, as he quickly and energetically, sallied forth.
I couldn’t blame anyone; of course, life for him was simply fuller, than for most.
We all simply gathered around to sign the new cast, each time his life went askew.
There was really very little else that we could do.

The moral to this story as I have often told...
Is to always be prepared for what life and little boys can bestow.

Copyright © Carol Eastman | Year Posted 2011

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