Affectionately Yours

I keep watering the plant
and it keeps growing.
Should I forget, the
leaves stick their tongue
out at me.
Kids in school, with utter
shock and exasperation,
would run up to me on
the playground
"He stuck his tongue out
at me!", as if I had a
magic wand and could
make it
(and him) turn to stone
(or worse).
Well, did you do
something to irritate him?
No, they would lie.
Aw, c'mon.  You must have
done something.
Well, he was chasing me
and wouldn't leave me alone
yes?.....so I squirted water
in his face.
Hmmm, you think
maybe he didn't like that?
I don't care...
and on it would go
until apologies were
made by both sides.
Little kids can get
over stuff pretty rapidly
if they can tell someone
about it. 
I mean, why ruin
a day of fun over a chase,
and some water in the face?
The last day of school everyone
donned bathing suits, armed up
with all manner of squirt guns,
and let each other have it
to their hearts content.
It was payback time for
a year of frustration without
retaliation.
Like plants who need watering
regularly, kids shouldn't have to
wait til the end of school year
to tell their "friends" what
they think of them with a little water.
Kids, like plants, grow best when
watered as needed.

Copyright © 2103 Gary Frates
Photograph © Dennis Frates