Cracking Peanuts

Oh, those late afternoon snacks.

Sitting on small soft stools,

around the tiny round trashcan.

As Grandpa brings out the sack,

we get ready to crack the peanuts.

Best of all was sucking the salt from the shell.

It was like vacuuming the dirt from the floor.

We’d sit there for hours,

cracking peanuts and listening to Grandpa’s stories.

When the sack was half gone,

we’d stop and wait for the next day to come.

I’d put away our sitting pods,

while Grandpa poured big glasses

of creamy white milk.

We’d slurp our milk like cows at the water hole,

until the glass had not one drop left.

After the snack had ended,

I had learned much about my Granddaddy,

and couldn’t wait for the next snack time to come.

                                    Becky Thorberg

Hugs and Love

So scared and nervous.

The chalky cloudy liquid rolls around in the bottle,

Everything has to be perfect.

All by myself, or so I think I am.

Waiting and longing for this moment.

The air gets heavy and thick.

Maybe I should let mom do it for me.

My eyes dart back and forth.

“Where could she be? What is taking her so long?”

Cleaning and prepping my trembling leg

My hands begin to shake

Tiny little needle, tiny little prick.

I set it down slowly to my squishy skin,

I feel the sting of defeat and pull away.

One, two, three, in. Wow I got the first step.

The cloudy chalky cold insulin flows beneath my fleshy skin.

Slowly but surly my task is done and

I pull out my self-infliction out

All of my fears are taken away.

I have made it through.

All by myself, I run to my mom,

Hugs are always the greatest rewards.

Roxy Coakes

Joy Ride

On a hot summer day

With sisters playing softball,

But forgetting their gloves

For the game.

Being the great and loving

Parents that they are,

They sprint home to pick up

Their lost, scared, sad softball gloves.

As they rush on

Into the house,

The little boy

Who’s playing

Being driver of the car

As he turns the steering wheel

Back and forth

Honking the horn

The time of his life.

But as the fun rolls on in the car,

The little boy hits the gear shifter

On into reverse.

Now he’s driving.

Then the parents,

who have the gloves

Sees their little boy waving

As the car is jogging on down the hill

Back into our neighbor’s garage,

Where he is rebuilding a

1969 Charger that was just about done

Until then.

The car still sits behind his garage.

And that little boy grew up with that

Strange, staggering, still image of his

Parents’ faces as he gets out of the car.

Dennis Reicks