Yellow, a sunny color -
bittersweet brightness of life.
Wild dandelion its flower,
brilliant in grandson’s eyes.
Watching the Summer spin,
fragile twirling and bend.
Pandemic’s Kindergartner plucks bouquet -
tenders it to grandma.
Isolation had its moments -
streets with no cars,
chasing a lemon butterfly.
“Oh, it flied away.”
His skateboard in pause,
as our lives were,
but in home’s vase,
weeds quickly passed away.
Embellished scarecrows set up on the square.
Black-caped crows peck away at October’s fare.
Prodigious pumpkin, a prop on a hay pile.
A kindergartner with a jack-o-lantern smile.
Dentists polish their tools as candy corn is on the loose.
The soft mallow insides of Brach’s honeydew seduce.
Blustery storm shivers and shakes all but conifers bare.
Children paddle and swim in a seasonal share.
The thrill of kicking through plenipotentiary leaves.
Their jewel-tone colors flicker and leap as the fire cleaves.
10/1/2018
I remember how it is like to be in kindergarten
When life was easy and I never worried
About how they thought of me or the pimple on my forehead
Whether I was tall enough or short enough
I could walk up to anybody and we would be friends in a matter of minuets
There were no mean girls and bad boys
Nobody complained about seeing each other in our stained clothes
Or our yogurt covered faces
All we had was time to play with each other
Climbing up the jungle gym or sliding down into mud puddles
We would swing high on the swings to see who would go highest.
How I miss those days
How I miss the mind of kindergartner that I had
If I could have it back indeed I would
The mind that cannot hate or envy
That does not know what revenge is.
School bus driver
Releases the squish of her air brakes
With a lurch from knees and chest
Clunks the bus into Park
Lowers her red head into the matchsticks of her dry hands
Rolls the meatballs of her eyes between her thumbs
And quietly says Help me God reaching for her cigarettes.
Out of habit she takes one last glance
Into her rearview mirror
Seeing the blond hair of a kid
Sitting in what should be the empty back.
The driver tears down the aisle to her own childhood
Kindergartner sitting with her precious hands
Balanced like tea cups on her knees
Her pretty dress that her mother picked
Is the color of bees teasing flowers
Her blue eyes dazzling
She has a worried smile drawn across her face
Squiggled there by dad in the morning.
She doesn’t speak a word
The driver takes her by the hand
And walks her to the garage to make The Call.
There’s been a terrible mistake
The driver’s boss says over the phone
To mom then dad both at work.
Propped up on a bar-stool almost seeing eye to eye, the policeman and the kindergartner sharing stories over two scoops of ice cream. Today's special ~Discipline with a Smile~.
Joe the friendly police officer gently corrects the young child. "Always think of others' feelings first before you get into a fight. There are always three sides to every story, son. Your side, his side, and the policeman's side."
The young boy looked down and batted his hazel eyes. "Sir, he was trying to kill a baby frog. Who stands up for the innocent frog, Mr. Police Officer?"
Caught off guard by this young child's powerful response, the police officer closed his eyes, bowed his head and said, " This is where you come in, God!"
Written by Gwendolen Rix
10-9-14
Written by Gail DeBole on
February 6, 2014
Updated on March 7, 2014
She juggled suns and moons
Bounced Mars on her head
Waltzed on Jupiter
Never leaving the bed...
She skipped over to London
And skated high in the sky
Hugging her friends
As they all skated by.
She had tea with non-people
In a beautiful land
Cartwheeled in outer space
Without using her hands.
She accomplished the impossible
Never leaving her bed
And felt quite refreshed
By the crisp dreams in her head.
She awoke with a vigor!
Showered, dressed and then ate!
Ready for the day,
She could hardly wait.
This kindergartner was ready to play!