CHILD (For Universal Children’s day)
Child
Carry me you said, “Up on high”
I hoisted you onto my shoulders.
We traveled someway up ahead,
and then set-off again, on foot.
“Everybody in the world are cousins,” you said.
“Yes variably so, by nature of creed and kinship.”
“You always had problems with hearing,” you asked.
“No, it was only by accident of chance, not birth.”
“Lots of people in the world like this” you said.
“Yes, one must be careful not to get hurt.”
Then you got rolled by your playfully affectionate sisters.
Onto your back upon wet grass, cowpat stains on jacket.
“You’re a big-boy now,” I said.
And off you went racing down to the stream.
“Be careful”, I shouted.
“I know what I’m doing” you said,
and jumped across it.
I watched over you anxiously:
Playfully expeditious in your child’s world.
“Come on”, I urged.
You followed along from the other side.
At fenced barrier squeezed through gap.
The stream widened flowing over jutting rocks.
You paused with thoughts of crossing over.
I said, don’t! They’re too jagged and slimy,
come over at the road bridge.
You hesitated, stared, then reconsidered and
came safely across at the bridge.
First published on Facebook on 2013-11-20 at this link.