Bree and Dawn
The nine year old boy,
Curving butterflies zig zag
Before and behind.
~ Phillip Whidden
The only perfect human beings are . . .
Our nine-year olds. They’ve learned the sweetness we
Had longed for flying close behind them, far
Ahead in faith. Curved serendipity
From them is unavoidable. We hope
Their futures are as sweet as they are now,
But fear that we will not learn ways to cope
If bitter wings sweep later or know how
To intervene if birds with bitter beaks
Slide in. The zig zag swooping will not save
The beauty children are. An evil seeks
To harm their loveliness … and then deprave.
If we were guardians from heaven sent
With wings, intentions could not quite prevent.
~ Phillip Whidden
