he walked toward school indignantly
they'd sent him off with less than he'd need
to pay for one small bottle of milk for lunch
he scowled and pouted and argued in his mind
while keeping a pleasant face for folks to see
it wasn't fair there was no way
a boy could get even with grownups
then nearly all the way to school he stepped out of his world
he heard a commotion he'd never paid attention to
and wandered off his path until - behold! - a fair set up!
two women fought with stands that should've just unfolded
a table collapsed just as the stand-keeper would've set fruit down
a donkey started to walk away when its owner's arms were full
the boy found wondrous ways to help and saw a new world begin
a centavo here, five there, once even ten!
flowers, meat, chickens, painted rings, and carved stone bracelets
materials for dresses, skirts, and shirts
and different trims for ladies who could afford them fancy
a merchant sent him running across the fair with a note
another sent him back with an answer, and both paid him
he ate lunch and still had money, gambled and lost
gambled and won, talked with a girl until her mother called
he bought a snack and listened to musicians play
songs his parents nor the school would have let him hear
and finally recognized that school must have let out
he walked home smiling at a happy world
his school uniform as dirt-stained as he
but he had three times as much money in his pocket
as he'd left home with, and knew better than to tell
he caught hell at home, of course, late and dirty
but not enough to chase away his hidden smile
a windstorm two days after blew down a fifty-year-old tree
and damaged the school roof, teachers and principal
even the janitor danced as if possessed
and no one asked about the note he should've brought from home
a month went by, and his mother puzzled over the school's report
"did you miss a day from school this term?" she asked
"no ma'am," he answered honestly
he hadn't missed it at all
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