"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
I know I'm a new creation...but sometimes...the old comes creeping out....
I hope you enjoy this poem for the season!
Supper in the Morning
Mom was in the kitchen, cooking up a meal,
When she hollered out to me, “Jack, please come here.
Get the plates and the cups and five forks and spoons.
Please set the table because supper will be soon.”
Mom’s eyes had tears as she held an onion peel.
Then my two little brothers started to squeal.
They squealed and they squawked and fell to the ground.
“I’m trying to cook,” mom said. “Please stop that sound!”
They raced and they roared through the house on their bikes,
crashing into mom’s ankles as she shouted, ‘YIKES!’
Sam fell off his bike and he screamed ‘I NEED ICE!’
Mom ran to the fridge, but slipped on some dice.
“Pick up your toys,” she yelled with fists to the sky.
Then the phone rang; it was dad on the line.
“Dad will be late,” I announced to the crew.
“And I almost forgot, my school project is due.”
Then I practiced piano. It was Bach number three.
The song was quite hard. It was brand new to me.
Then Timmy, who’s two, climbed up on the bench
and he banged on the keys with his little toy wrench.
When I told him to stop, he reached for my face.
He tore off my glasses; a lens popped out of place.
I couldn’t see clearly, but I heard mom mutter,
“Witching hour is here,” she said with a stutter.
I peered through one lens to watch a strange scene.
It was five o’clock sharp and mom turned all green.
The green was not dark; it was pale and light.
Her nose grew a wart; what a terrible sight!
She stirred up her rice, or was it a stew?
Her spoon was a wand in a big witch’s brew.
Was this witching hour? It must be the case!
Deep wrinkles took over mom’s beautiful face.
I had to do something and do it real fast.
Five o’clock supper, it just couldn’t last.
I yelled out a plan to make witching hour work:
“Supper in the morning…a big roasted pork!”
Mom turned to us boys and cackled a phrase,
“Come near me dear children; look into my gaze.”
We three couldn’t speak, there was nothing to say.
We inched our feet forward, holding hands all the way.
She stooped down real low and she reached out her arms,
to gobble us up like her own Chicken Parm.
But in her embrace we found warmth and delight.
Wrinkles, wart, wand were gone. It was a beautiful sight.
She said, “Supper in the morning? Let’s give it a try.
You boys are so calm in a bright morning sky.”
When 8AM came, I raced out of bed.
The smell of roast beef, it was lodged in my head.
Potatoes and broccoli, dripping with butter,
ice cream and brownies, my tummy did flutter.
The table was set and the meal was all done.
Mom cooked while we slept; she said it was fun!
We ate in our pjs and nobody fought.
Timmy was yawning, while Sam smiled a lot.
Mom didn’t turn green and she wasn’t stressed out.
Supper in the morning was better, no doubt.
When five o’clock came, there was nothing to cook.
I practiced my piano and mom read a book.
My brothers they squawked and they screamed oh so loud.
So mom closed her book and she joined in the crowd.
She chased them and hugged them and laughed all the while.
Witching hour was here and mom had a smile!
Just toast on a napkin for dinner, you see.
No dishes to wash, there was nothing to clean.
Dad came through the door to a wild scene
and he was surprised that mom wasn’t green.
She asked, “How was your day?” She wanted to know.
Dad said it was bad, ‘cause the traffic was slow.
A meeting went late and he had to miss lunch.
He also skipped breakfast, to beat the morning rush.
“I’m hungry,” he said. “My tummy is rumbling.
What’s for supper? My belly is grumbling.”
“What’s this on a napkin? Is this buttered toast?
Toast is for breakfast! And supper, a roast.”
I called out to dad and explained the appeal
of supper in the morning, the brand new deal.
He said, “I’m already at work when supper’s at eight
and when it’s at five o’clock, I’m often late.”
And then something happened so bad that I froze.
My dad grew some fur on his arms and his nose.
My ears opened wide and I started to hear
the growl in his tummy sounded just like a bear.
His hands grew enormous and changed into paws.
At the tips of his paws were gigantic claws.
I couldn’t believe how my parents could switch
to these secret identities, a bear and a witch.
I knew that I needed to do something soon.
The answer was clear: “Let’s try supper at noon!”