When Benedict Walks Through the Door...

I feel
like the chrysalis cracked open
and the butterfly
opened its wings.

Top five things about Benedict:

His smoothie-making.

His jokes
that make me laugh.

His skill
at building Lego towers.

The way he curls up
with the cat
and like the cat.

His advise
about silly things.

Together,
we go down the basketball court
and make the shot.

When he leaves
I feel like the butterfly
rewinds its progress
and the white chrysalis
mends together.

-- (Oliver, 2nd grade, Evanston, IL, 2008)