Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: First Day of School (06/28/04)
TITLE: My First Day of School By Mary Alice Bowles 07/05/04 |
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I was brand new
A room, a table, and chairs so small
So many other children, my own age
Boys in long sleeved shirts and bibbed over-alls
Girls in pig tails were the rage
On the table, a box in the middle
A coloring page for each child
A box of sticks in every color
Red, yellow, blue, green and purple
I had never seen a crayon
Never held one in my hand
They were like magic
Move your fingers, and they created
Pretty pictures on a page
The teacher said, “share”
I’d collect and hide those pretty sticks
What she said, I did not care
“What’s share”?
The sticks were all missing
Those big babies all cried
Their squeals went through my ears
Fear brought on my big old tears
The teacher got up
Her face was red
I wasn’t listening to what she said
“Now young lady, where are they”?
Just be quiet, she’ll go away
Don’t say a word
Don’t breathe
Don’t even look in her direction
laying in my lap, my dress bunched up
the crayons, Warm and snug,
covered and hid
Sharing was not my gig
No one would ever find them here!
A tap on the shoulder, a soft voice like floating feathers
Calming my storm, and all kinds of other weathers
“Mary, would you like to have the box to go along with the crayons”?
Did she mean it, this lady fair?
This lady with the stiff brown hair
Walking up the road, the day is done
Two beautiful crayons in my hand
I gave them all away one by one
The happiest six year olds in Appalachian land
My teacher was so proud
I gave Sammie a brown, and Emily a green,
Vickie a green and Kathy an orange
Tammie a yellow and Chastity a blue
I even gave one to Malinda Sue
I gave them all away one by one
I now hold two little sticks in my hand
One for me and one for Mom
I just know she has never seen a crayon
©Mary Alice Bush Bowles
July the fourth, 2004