a day to grow on

There’s something special
about the first lemonade stands on the spring sidewalk
in the morning,
like tossing our flip-flops
from our toes and feeling the cool grass
between them.
Like red-sucker rings and icecream on a cone
that somehow manages to fall,
But that’s okay because
Mom’ll get you another one.
And there’s something great, like at the beach
when we swim in the summer sun,
our shoulders growing red,
our noses too.
Let’s eat popsicles till our stomachs
make those swishy noises inside
and we feel just a little sick.
But let’s eat another one anyway,
just because it’s there.
Lets laugh and play and make fun of each other
just for fun. Until mom calls us in for lunch.
And lets beg to skip our afternoon, after school nap
And gobble three cookies with milk
instead of two.
And lets dart outside before dinner and
climb the trees that are beginning to change
their colors already.
And let’s remember not to remember
dinner until mom calls us in
and we sit at the dinner table
and ask rudely where it is,
why’d you call me in so soon if it’s not ready yet?
And lets whine to stay up later
just a little later
so we can catch lightning bugs
our feet crashing through the crisp, colored leaves
our noses growing cold with the
cooling night air.
And there’s something wonderful
about staying out just a little longer
because we don’t think about
the morning and feeling grouchy
especially when it’s the first snow
And you know the ice has finally frozen
and it took forever
and you just got a new pair of skates
for Christmas
And a really cool bongo sled that’s red
And you can’t wait to try it out,
even if it is pitch dark outside.
It took forever to get your winter clothes on
And by the time you get them off
it's time to go to bed
and it’s almost spring again.