Tantrum in my mind

There had been a collision

There was trauma — of the peanut-butter-in-hair sort

There was whining and stamping of feet

and one who had retreated 

to a closet to cry

(with occasional backward glance

scanning for audience)

and one who was screaming

and one gnashing teeth

And the drama

distracted the onlookers

from the fact

that what was being asked

was not that hard

and patience was possible

and a good bike ride

putting miles between

the problem and the one who was

refusing to think

could be enough

to reset the scene.

©Wendy Mulhern

September 19, 2012