Crossing The Street

first day, first grade




we came to that point of corner-rounding,
stopping curbside since crossing the street
was necessary.  "look both ways" was a 
remembered warning the grown-ups had 
always admonished, but here we were:  
across the street in a new world, infinite 
and frightening, teasing the limits of 
awkward creativity and learning. 


there I was:  slight, unsure, discomposed 
by my creation; saying "cheese" on cue, 
and not realizing that coloring inside the lines
would take a lifetime to master. 




Poem © 2012 R. Burnett Baker 
Photo taken by Ina Jean Garner (my aunt) September, 1959.  My first day of school.  I remember this so well, and still squirm at how embarrassed I was at the "bad" artwork I made that day!  If only life were still that simple.....