“Sara from South Dakota”--By Richard Carl Subber--United States

“Sara from South Dakota”

You’re the kid who yelled “I love the ocean!” the first time you saw it.

You’re the little kid who didn’t want to go back to the house for supper.

You’re the kind of kid who won’t stand still while Mom puts the lotion on.

You’re the kind of kid who won’t cry when the sunburn hurts.

You’re the little girl who wanted to help that baby fill up her little blue bucket.

You would NOT let your brother help you build your castles.

You’re the kid who doesn’t want to go home to South Dakota “ ‘cause it’s too far from the ocean, which is really fun.”

You’re the little kid who wasn’t afraid to ask me “What’s on the other side of the ocean?”…

     and you listened to my explanation, even though it was too long.

You said “Thank you,” and I guessed that I had taught you something.

You’re young enough to be my granddaughter…

     maybe I’ll have a granddaughter like you some day.

Later, at sundown, I saw that a child had written her name in the wet sand just below the high tide mark:

“Sara from South Dakota”

∼∼∼∼∼∼∼

with a squiggly line under her name. I knew it was you.

You’re the kind of kid who would do it.

You’re the kind of kid who would say good-bye to the ocean.

That’s a pretty big thing for a kid to do.

Richard Carl Subber (Rick) is a freelance editor, a writing coach and a historian. He lives with his family in Natick, Massachusetts, USA. He’s a former newspaper reporter/editor who now indulges his love of the right words.  Rick is a proud grandpa who is teaching his granddaughter to read and write, in case there is poetry in her future.  His poetry appears in The Australia Times Poetry Magazine, miller’s pond poetry magazine, The RavensPerch, Northern Stars, and elsewhere. His blog: http://barleyliterate.blogspot.com/