Black crow
Watch your
strut
Bob your
head
Shake your
butt
Don’t think
too hard
Just go with
the flow
When it’s
right
The flow
will know
Black crow
Bob your
head
And you will
see
You’re well
fed
Squirrel and
rabbit
Deer and cat
You duck and
jive
Lovin’ where
you’re at
Black crow
Watch the
street
Knowing fast
cars bring
More meat
Watch your
strut
Bob your
head
Shuffle
those feet
Dine on the
dead
“Janie. Come in here. Right away.”
Recrimination echoed in the ensuing silence. Janie tucked
her hair behind her ears, straightened her shirt, took a deep breath, walked
slowly down the hall and into the sunlit corner room where a matronly lady stood
reviewing the wreckage of Janie’s work.
“You do know that you’ve painted yourself into a corner this
time. You’re up the creek without a paddle, on the roof without a ladder, in
the mine without a parakeet. In short, you, my friend, are in trouble.”
Tears came to Janie’s eyes.
“I’m, I’m s-s-s-sorry.”
“Well, we’re kind of past the point of sorry now.”
Stern icy blue eyes under shaggy grey eyebrows looked down
at Janie who was now more aware of her slight stature than she’d ever been.
“What do you want me to do,” she asked.
Janie held her hands in front of her, pleading. She also
held her breath.
“Janie, if this had been the first time we could overlook
it. But you’ve done this before. Several times.”
“But I’ll do better. I promise!”
The craggy face in which the eyes resided moved closer.
“OK. I believe you. So here’s what what’s going to happen.
You’re going to clean up the mess you made, and you’ll do it without complaint.”
“I understand,” Janie said. She brushed her hands together,
ready to get down to business.
“And Janie…”
“Yes?”
“Next time you want to make cookies, check with me first. We
can have a grandma and Janie baking lesson.
Janie smiled and nodded as she swept flour, chocolate chips
and eggshells, her culinary palette, from the floor.
