Spork Etiquette
“You’re going to do fine, Danny,” she said, fastening the coat around his neck.
“But Mom, what if—”
“Now remember,” his mother cut him off, “Hold the drawer for your teachers and classmates. Don’t play with your food. Brush your tines every night before you go to bed. And do you have enough underwear—”
“Mom!” Danny swallowed. “Mom…what if no one likes me?”
“Oh, sweetie!” Danny’s mom bent down to look him in the eyes. “Don’t worry about that. You’ll make friends soon enough at school. After all, everyone’s going to be learning Table Manners together!”
Danny lowered his own gaze to the floor. “But I’m…different.”
“Now you listen to me, Danny.” The boy looked back up at his mother’s suddenly serious tone. “You may be different on the outside, but it’s what’s inside that matters. Your father and I love each other very much—and we love you. And any time someone makes fun of you, you remember that you’ve got the best of both worlds. The people who try to spoon you or fork you aren’t worth your time of day.”
Danny nodded, trying not to break down in front of his mom. “I’ll miss you.”
His mother smiled and wiped her eyes. “I’ll miss you too.”
Okay, this is not a poem at all. What am I doing here? I’ll get back on the poetry train tomorrow.
Part of Poem-a-day 2012. Title donated by Tony P.