School

Heading for School

To get to the car
I walk through the wind blown garbage
A new pile deposited each day.
The car is hot, even this early.
I join the commuting insanity
Driving with the lane jumpers, and weavers.
Children with no seat belts, joyfully waving little limbs
From faded school mini vans with broken springs,
Complete Cacophony of a Kuwaiti morning
Heading for school.

Reflecting back…

On some Spring mornings
three young boys, brothers I think
walk up the hill in front of my house
lingering to pick up branches
from the forest floor to use as swords
and walking sticks.

Most mornings, getting ready for work
slowly
sipping my coffee in front of the fire place
I watch the boys again on their way to
school, into the woods, playing tag,
follow-the-leader and other childish games.
I marvel that they ever reach a destination
delayed each day by innocence and curiosity.

This winter morning they are miniature
astronauts with giant life support backpacks
walking stiffly and rigidly with little
flexibility allowed by their thick snow suits.
They try to climb the snow pile at the end of
my driveway, eventually they disappear up the
hill…aimlessly heading for school.