She’s only eight, my youngest girl,
she gets less total attention,
we’ve been there once.

Her father gone to a business dinner,
sister at a birthday party sleepover,
it was getting late.

She had gotten this long stringy haired doll,
named Tessie from Texas, on vacation
she had to have.

She gave her a bath in the bathroom sink,
decided the doll needed school supplies and
made a paper folder.

Needing some tape to seal up the sides,
with a quickling smile, she asked if I wanted to know
how she "cut" the paper.

Of course! Being intrigued, she has a fast mind,
I had wondered why the edges of the homemade
folder were damp.

She smiled as she folded a new sheet.
“You have to lick it and get the fold wet,”
she chortled at me.

Unfolding the paper and beaming so bright
she tugged at the sides and it tore free,
from an educated center.

Amazed and delighted I laughed and asked,
“Who taught you that?” No one,” she said,
“I taught Deanna!”

And as she hummed happily as she walked away,
I couldn’t help breathing ‘my child, my daughter,
my creative protégé…'

Erin Moen
8/22/03
Copyright 2003 ©

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

:) Kids have such freedom of mind, I would have never thought of licking the paper!