August 19: Charlotte's Web

Miss Terri is reading Charlotte's Web
and when she is finished can we see the movie?

She asks, high cheekbones covered in freckles
sitting in the back seat in a booster, five.

I don't know, I hedge, thinking of the ending.
It might be sad when Miss Terri is done

Do they run out of words to write on the web?
she asks, implying the death of poor Wilbur

No, I reassure, but don't want to spoil the ending
but she presses and finally I cave, euphemistically:

Spiders don't live forever. I start crying because
my sister's teacher read this to them in second grade

When her classmate was dying of leukemia
But my sweet kindergartner is not living that life

She has babies, I blurt out, and some of them stay
Oh, she nods. So life goes on and that's not bad

I agree, pulling myself together, smiling back at her
She looks out the window and turns back to meet my eye

When you made my lunch today, she begins again,
why didn't you pack any dessert?