School

School

We were out by our pool

barbequing hamburgers

and hotdogs

at the last family party

before the start

of fall semester at college.

...First he held his hands

high above his head

and happily explained,

“I'm empty clear up to the sky!”

Then he studied the grill

very seriously and asked,

“Where does it go to school?”

I glanced back at him and chuckled,

“Grills don't go to school, budro.”

Now he looked puzzled,

“But where did it learn to color

the hotdogs all red

and the hamburgers brown?”

Then I knew

at four years old

and three feet tall

he had much greater stature

than I could hope for

when it came to seeing

wonder and mystery.

And I realized

that for me at least

college had started

a week early.

Dewey Dirks