Ground Hog Shadows

A Poem by Dina

Maturity is when you start to understand your parents.

As a kid, my grandfather took pride in holding the handle bars as I took my first pedal

Big and strong, his silence indicated and heir of protection

He wanted to see he was there for me

But I slapped his hands away and said "now now grandpa, let me see!"

Independence has always been my middle name

Not because of a particular pain or troubling season

But because my mercurial brain is impatient beyond reason

And I have stardust in my hair and a world to see still

And the people in my family loved me much

Though they hated when I acted tough

So they tried to teach me the perks of being on a team

But I ran the other way

You see

Ome night, the stars were gleaming!

But the fields had hidden troops

All strapped up by their very boots

And predictable I had become

They foresaw my very move

And sent me with my tail between my legs

In an irregular mood

Running back to grandpa, and daddy, and mommy

Waiting for the "I told you."