I stretch,
Giraffe tall,
Swing-tree tall,
So I can see
In the basket
On the counter,
Red, orange, yellow circles
Wrapped in plastic
Glowing
Like church windows.
I dig,
Squirrel quick,
Bone-dog quick,
Looking for green,
Spring grass green,
Green light green,
Sour apple green.
Not yet, sweetheart,
I am told.
Like I don’t know
Lollipops are for after shots.
But there’s only one
I want
To wrap my tongue around.
What if I’m good
And it’s gone?
I wouldn’t eat it now.
I could wait,
Knowing it was mine.
I grab it,
Cheetah fast,
Frog-tongue fast.
But what if someone sees?
Snake sneaky,
Kangaroo sneaky,
I hunt for a hiding place.
No pockets.
No socks.
No bag.
I have no choice.
I stash it in my underpants,
Just before they call my name.
© 2011 Elizabeth Ehrenfest Steinglass, all rights reserved
