The Thing about Lessons - Aug. 18, 2024

on the other side of my hedge

a father and mother and two kids

make loud noises in the pool

they’re teaching the boys to swim

though they wouldn’t squeal so loudly

if they were taking it seriously

that’s the thing about lessons

we like to learn them the hard way -

forced or through desperation

we sink before we manage

to float and swim because

we notice we’ll be left behind

not sure what I’ve still got to learn

death offers no instruction

how to die cannot be taught

maybe it’s more a reward

for surrendering

something like cookies and milk

for sinking all the way to the bottom