by Michael Baribeau (mb) and Gillena Cox (gc)

He hands me the folded paper and smiles
Closed, the smell the crayons still coloring it
Explains each figure he's drawn and its wiles
What they dare dream and of their gifted wit

His eyes telling more than any master's brush
Boyhood remembered and that loving upstream
From out under the bed crayons fly in a rush
A Father's Day card to see his Grandpa beam
-mb


Father’s Day Why not in May?
The naughty boy would say;
But Father’s Day appears in June
And ne’er a day too soon

Paper cups and paper plates
Some have eaten some are late
Strings and tails and puppy wails
A paper kite at the gate
-gc


In a panic riding full speed you fly into the yard
No slowing to jump off feet beat the grass hard
The loud clang of the bike as it hits the ground
Its fender still shuddering now making no sound

With frightening speed momentum carries you
Slap the door frame stops from barreling through
I ignore the bike left out and the slam of the door
You barely made curfew, I couldn't ask for more
-mb


Pelau with hot pepper jelly beans for supper
A little girl rides her favourite pink scooter
With narry a care for things like sustenance
Much to adult chagrin; thats - annoyance

The wheels spin round and around
Laughter spreads on the face of a clown
Food fight food fight foooood fight
The moon's smile in ink blue sky tonight
-gc


Leaving the big city families drive to the fair
Celebrating Independence Day small town style
Trucks mud bog racing, tires spit high in the air
And kids footrace, falling in the mud all the while

Carnival in a wooded park shaded from the heat
Young siblings and friends dash from ride to ride
For fireworks, stepping 'round blankets for a seat
Faces lit by sparklers fade and into darkness hide
-mb


At summer camp the storyteller
In drum beat song and colour
Brings to life the trickery of Anansi
That wiley wiley man - spider

In the coolness of evening air
Under early moonshine
Your nose still shines
A bunny's nose painted in storyland
-gc


Glowing in the game closet light in awe
For ages 12 and up gumballs fill a jigsaw
Scrabbling for points from bags of tiles
Houses and hotels among cash in piles

Marriages of suites common and noble
Dice rolls risk armies in conquest global
Domino bone yard both pocked and pale
While outside fierce rains and winds gale
-mb


Oh! but the plight of children
When the flooding waters risen
Sail their copy books and pencils
And snag their everyday utensils

Woe those waters foul and muddy
Reaping havoc through the country
Surely surely no one wants this
A lingering travesty continues amiss
-gc


Leafy tunnel a sandy trail goes through
Little ones shout as they run out of reach
Gone so quickly we worry and run too
Bursting from the woods onto the beach

Slowed by sand watching them race ahead
They bolt for the water dropping their towels
But each parent turns to watch in our stead
Into cooling waves with splashing and howls
-mb


In a stream of protests they are hurried away
Tarry no more tomorrow's a school day
There are books to brown paper cover
So get with it the summer vacation is over

Eager with yawns next morning comes
The start of a new school term
New friends, new class, new teacher, seems
The whole world a new tune hums
-gc