Magic

My dad called and asked if we would watch Max today so he could go to the adult session of Stake Conference.  Little did he know it came with conditions!  Maysen has been working on a poem for her English class.  She was quite stuck at one point and we had no idea how to help her.  She also wanted to get the meter right throughout the entire poem.  My dad came a little early to help.  We worked on it with her while he was gone.  Then when my dad came back, they stayed until 10:30 finishing it up.  THANKS DAD!  Her teacher is turning these into books to give to a first grade class.  She also had to have 14 literary devices throughout the poem.  Like alliteration, metaphor, anaphora, gerund, subjunctive mood....you get the idea.  I have no idea what most of these things even mean!  I'm not sure if she was able to get all of them, but she decided to call it good!  Anyway, I think Maysen is planning on making sure all the punctuation is correct, but this is what they came up with.

Mama...    Will you teach me magic?

"My sweet little child," my dear mother said

"If you try it so soon you could turn your hair red.

You know it takes practice to really know how

If you were of age I would teach you right now.

Cheer up, Mary Ann, and let your smile shine.

I promise to teach you the day you turn nine.

Magic is hard, even for me.

You'll grow soon enough; just wait and see."

But...   I want to do magic now...

"You don't look like Mary, you've lost your sweet smile.

Come over and talk to me, stay for awhile.

Or if you're desperate you can go look for Jane.

The last time I looked she was making it rain."

"Oh thank you!" I cried as I scrambled away.

"A fantastic idea!  I'll ask right away!"

"What do you want?"  My sister was busy.

"If I don't clean this mess Mom will be in a tizzy."

"I want to learn magic," I said, being bold.

"You'll show me now, won't you?  You're fourteen years old!"

"You?" snorted Jane with her nose in the air.

"What a request!  I'm surprised you would dare!

Teaching you magic would be a mistake.

I think if that happened I'd jump in the lake!

I don't mean to be rude--, really I don't

But teach you some magic?  I certainly won't."

"What is the matter?" Fred wanted to know.

You shouldn't be out in this icy cold snow."

"I'm running away," I told him right then.

"I don't want to come back here ever again!"

Come into the house."  He opened the door.

"Have my hot chocolate and I will make more."

Sitting inside made me feel so much better,

but sharing my wish made my face get much redder.

Magic, I think, would be such a delight.

I know what I'd do if I could do it right.

I'd travel across the whole world divine,

I'd break all the boundaries of distance and time.

I'd float in the air or I'd make my hands glow,

I do not care what, but I just want to go!

If I want to get good then I need to start now,

There's no time to waste, but I need to know how!

Yet no one will teach me, it's like I'm a bother.

Not Mama or Jane, not even my father.

To them it must seem that I'm not worth the trouble,

It seems that to them I'm as small as a bubble.

"Aha!" replied Fred "but that's where you are wrong

You know that they're right.  You've known all along.

You're not that pathetic or even naive,

You're too young to have rabbits pop out of your sleeve."

"You'll never get anywhere thinking like that,

So stand up, and zip up and put on your hat.

You're still just a sprout, you have time left to grow,

And when you get big you will put on a show.

But until you do that you've a life yet to live.

Take my advice, enjoy life as a kid.

I thought about that as I sat in my chair.

Should I really believe him?  Did I even dare?

"I'll try to be patient, I guess I'll learn how.

It's just . . .

I wanted to do magic now!"

Fred considered my words and stood up with a grin.

"I'll find you a pot to put a seed in.

I want you to care for it, you'll see what I mean

and before you know it the leaves will turn green."

As time moved along then I started to see

The flower that grew was a great deal like me.

And now it's so big, but it started so small.

The magic of life is the best gift of all.