No School

No School

All the schools were closed
except one
I was woken
beautifully
by her singing
a little bird
in her room

This day, a gift
that we unwrapped together
our frenzied running to the car
to escape the lava
we made it, just
our car-ride a symphony
of awful singing

The grocery shop was open
for us alone
in earnest we looked
for the perfect orange
the lemoniest lemon
and eventually
we found them

Her laughing echoed
in the cavernous toy shop
With a little of her savings
she bought a notebook

to keep
her secret thoughts

Entering the cinema foyer
she tugged at my sleeve
I looked down
“What’s wrong?”
a teary smile
“Happy tears.”

We sat in darkness
alone
not alone
the rustle of papers
the slurp of drinks
the light from her eyes

The journey home
my favourite part
She tells me that this
this day of small things
has been the best day of her life
I remind her of her birthdays
all six of them
I remind her of Christmas magic
of Easter eggs
of Pancake Tuesdays
her saucer sized eyes as our plane left the runway

She is still, she ponders
seconds tick by
she agrees
there have been better days
but they were not today

Previously published by The Opiate