Son Joseph Spring 1981, 11 years old
Reconciliation
For reasons unknown to me, he
hid the sack of field corn
beneath the front car seat. A
sort of peace offering to himself.
My memory recalled him clutching
the small brown bag as he walked
near the lake that day. He was
unsure of my love, his friend's
friendship, his sister's honesty
and his own self-worth.
He and I were miles apart in
spirit. Only time was to bridge
the gap.
Days later, when I found the corn
spilled from its broken paper bag,
I visualized a boy feeding ducks
alone, trying to minimize his hurt.
In more joyful times, his sister
and he had splashed along the shore
in bare feet tossing kernels to
chasing families of mallards.
Perhaps in his misery he had tried
to recapture the pleasant feeling
by himself but had failed. Thus he
hid the corn from view until he
reunited with everyone lest the
happiness the corn had previously
brought would be tarnished.
His joy in reconciliation however,
rendered the corn's hiding place
unimportant, and he forgot his
treasure for all time.
_____________
