One February Sunday morning when I lived in Milwaukee, I attended a public nature walk at the local nature center entitled “Looking For Signs Of Spring”. On this day, the air was wet and cold, the sky was damp, and it alternately rained and slushed all day. We looked and we looked but we finally returned to the nature center with the conclusion that there WERE NO signs of Spring! We were soaked to the core and cold to the bone so the naturalist quickly brought out some wonderful mugs of rich, steaming hot chocolate. And we sat by a fire talking.
A young girl of about ten years old, had her soaking wet boots and socks off and was trying to warm her frozen little feet by the fire. “I wish toes could sip hot chocolate!” she announced to her father.
I overheard her comment and furiously wrote this little poem to her in my notebook and then read it to her by the fire. This poem hung, as ripped from my notebook, on the wall for years. It may still be there.
To Rebecca With Frozen Feet: If Toes Could Sip Hot Chocolate
If toes could sip hot chocolate
I’d never wear my shoes
I’d dip my toes
Into the snows
And go, just where I choose.
If toes could sip hot chocolate
I’d never wear my socks
I’d whip toes out
And steal about
As quiet as a fox.
If toes could sip hot chocolate
I’d never wear my skis
I wax my seat
And hands and feet
And slide down hills with ease.
But toes can’t sip hot chocolate
(‘though it would be so grand!)
So I stuff them into socks and boots
And hope they understand.
Jeff L. Howe,
Milwaukee, 1985
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
jmac1949
Lisa Scroggins
jlsathre
toritto
Deborah Young
I am Stretch
Salon.com
Comments
Rated
It is truly a keeper Jeff.