Audrey played in the sandbox, <br />Alone with a red, plastic fish. <br />Ryan grabbed it to take it away, <br />Wanting to play with it, too, <br />And neither child would even consider <br />The blue plastic fish that lay nearby, <br />Right in the same sandbox. <br /> <br />I told them, 'You'll have to take turns, <br />Five minutes each with the red plastic fish. <br />I'll start keeping track on my watch.' <br /> <br />The next question to answer, of course: <br />Who would get the fish first? <br />Few small children ever want to go second, <br />There's only one time, and that's 'Now'. <br /> <br />I told Audrey, 'You've had it already <br />For quite a long, long time, <br />And now it's time to give Ryan his turn. <br />Five minutes won't be a long wait.' <br /> <br />She threw herself face down on the sand <br />As soon as I gave him the fish, <br />Weeping and wailing like someone bereft <br />Until his 5 minutes were up. <br /> <br />As soon as the fish was back in her hands, <br />Audrey cooed, eyes dilated in bliss. <br />She put the fish in a bright blue bucket <br />Of water, and lovingly fed it sand. <br /> <br />Ryan was happily distracted, <br />So I said nothing at all <br />Until ten minutes later, when he walked up <br />And asked me, 'Hey, where's my fish? ' <br /> <br />Again Audrey dissolved in tears <br />As soon as the fish was gone, <br />Beating her fists and mourning until <br />It safely returned to her pail. <br /> <br />That was the way it went the whole morning. <br />I could neither disturb Audrey's fish heaven, <br />Nor relieve her time in hell.<br /><br />Max Reif<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/desire-3/
