Smile time

FADING AWAY

 

Thunder roars and booms. Lightning streaks across the darkening sky. There is no rain yet and I wonder what can be delaying it. The park is almost empty, at least the part I'm in and I am scared, too scared to stay and too scared to ride my bike home. Each lightning bolt seems to aim itself my way. My Daddy taught me not to stand under a tree in a lightning storm because the tree attracts the lightning. He told me to run fast, get in somebody's house. I can't run. I have my bike to take care of. 

 

Before the lightning began I was sitting quietly by the fish pond, talking to the biggest gold fish. I named him Willy and, honest to goodness, he knows me. As soon as I sit down on the pool's edge, he  swims to me, opens and closes his mouth and surely wants me to feed him...but I can't. There's a broken sign that says, 'Please don't feed the ..sh so I don't. And Willy might not like peanut butter and jelly. Somebody, and I know who, stole the 'fi' off the sign. I've seen those letter glued on Mel Fine's wagon. He's a thief. I also saw him take a box of Good 'n Plenty off the candy counter at the movies, didn't pay for it and never offered me a single candy.

 

Why are my thoughts away from where they belong? I should be figuring out a way to get home without being struck by lightning or drowned when the rain comes pouring down.  What will happen if the lightning really hits the fish pond? Will Willy and the other fish be cooked? I grab my ears and bend down low. That last thunder almost split my ears open.

 

Am I going nutso? Do I see a speck of blue way off where the lightning starts? Yes, yes. It is getting a little bigger, not much but it makes me feel a tiny bit safer. The lightning doesn't care too much for the blue sky and zings, pings thru the dark sky. I hear a terrible noise that had to be where it struck something, maybe our house.  No, No, god wouldn't let that happen, wouldn't let me be an orphan, would he?

He heard me. God must be a mind reader. The sky is getting bluer every minute. I am saved. Maybe I can ride my bike home soon.
As I am about to try it, I see the most gorgeous rainbow that ever covered the sky. Somebody, anybody, come see what I see. There are two rainbows at the same time. This is fragalistic! Oh, if only god would let me walk up one and slide down the other, land in our back yard, I would give up my allowance, always speak softly, nicely to my parents

 

and IF–
                           If I could do as I please,
                           Just feed the fishes,
                           I'd run up one rainbow
                           Slide down the other
                           Be home on time
                           To do the dishes !
   

 

Bye Willy! Bye Everybody! By god that was a cute poem, wasn't it?