Finalist

 

Leaf Hats, Waltzes, and Afternoon Tea

 

He was not afraid and neither was I.

As we looked at each other, I saw he wore a leaf on his head.

How queer, I thought. He wears a leaf as if it were a garden hat.

I half expected him to bow, doff his leaf, and ask me to afternoon tea.

Accepting his cordial invitation, we would swim to his hidden home.

After hanging his leaf, he would set a pot of lily flower tea.

The proffered fly scones with dragonfly jam, I would politely decline.

Perhaps we would attend the Lily Pad Cotillion and together dance a waltz.

And waltz we might all along the pond bottom to the music of an underwater band.

Carp would play the woodwinds. Or would that be wood-waters?

The crayfish would beat the drums and the sunfish would blow the trumpets.

The perch would bow the violins and the big-mouthed bass would pluck the bass.

The catfish would yowl as the tadpoles wiggled with delight.

No, I told myself. This is all very silly.

Yet I found myself thinking that he did so look the little gentleman.

Splish! Splosh! Splash!

With a kick or two of his long back legs, he was gone.

 

---

Molly Goelzer, age 11

Durham, New Hampshire

Entered individually

© River of Words