The Children's Hour

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations,
That is known as the Children’s Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

-- "The Children's Hour" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Afternoon Walk

The Cowboys had a three o'clock game today, and I took my first afternoon walk since the summer began. Although it was not too hot, the sun was very bright. I am glad I remembered to wear my baseball cap, but I had to look for the occasional pool of shade and shadows to do my reading.

I was glad to see that people have started coming back to the pond. That's why the ducks aren't starving. Which is great. I don't have to feel guilty about not having any cracked corn on me. I even saw a couple of romantic couples, with the women working it in short skirts. It still bothers me to see the white male with the sexy latina. Like it matters. But it is still salt for the wounds.

There was one happy occurrence. The cat halfway down the block surprised me. At first, when I passed the house, I looked for it, but figured he was inside. A couple of houses further on, I stopped under the shade of a tree to start reading "Dino", and I suddenly felt something rubbing my ankle. The cat. The cat was feeling especially affectionate today. I suppose i should stick to calling him Socks, but I hate betraying my absence of imagination, but I don't have any other Sockses in my life at this time.