As I go Forth…
THERE was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching
cycles of years.

The goldfish pond became a part of this child,
And Phonics note cards littering the pink carpet, and Easter baskets- hidden in the closet,
And a mountain of toys blocking the door,
And a makeshift mailbox extending to the bottom bunk,
And the many fruit-by-the-foots became a part of this child.

The healing powers of a hug from Mom
after a slap from brother, became a part of this child.
The “Mom jeans,” the Holiday sweaters, the packed lunches,
The Magic Kisses and Monster Spray
Became a part of this child.

To Eagle Canyon the child went forth every day;
Where Hamtaros and Neopets and the Big Bag of Funky Junk were on the forefront of her mind.
The teacher up front, whom she accidentally called “Grandma,” and the thrill of another loose tooth, waiting to be encased in that snazzy plastic treasure chest;
The drinking fountains, the sandbox, the flower wreaths made to say “I’m sorry,”
Became a part of this child.

Then to Heritage the girl went forth every day;
The stomachaches, the Cornell notes, the random mustached kid sitting in front of her;
The Civil War Smack Down, the awards, the trophies, the triumphs, the failures, the friendships, the drama, the bus rides, the displacement of being neither big nor small, Became a part of this child.

Then to Etiwanda the girl went forth every day;
The Link Crew leader making her nervous, the counselors scolding her for not taking enough science. The pressure, eventually-
The emo kids in the J-Building, letting the big faker sit with them; the seniors, the first year of trying to be someone else;
The theatre department, the Yearbook staff, finding a place to be herself. Dressing her link crew in Star Wars theme, reading books, finally holding hands with a cute boy-
became a part of this child.

Sometimes outside forces were driving the events in the girl’s life:
The invention of Starbuck’s, the tragedy of September 11th, The growing fame of Ms. J.K. Rowling;
The continuance of Global Warming, the growing fear of terrorism, and the overwhelming feeling that “Good” was not easy to define.
Unexpected snow days, changing political climates, and the constant background noise of cynical news reports
Became a part of this child.

These became a part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day.