A Real Person

Caleb doesn’t yet know precisely how to use
Utensils.
Sometimes he scoops stew with the spoon
Into his hand and from his hand into his mouth.
He ends messy, but satisfied,
And climbs down to find me,
And leads me to the counter, the sink,
And reaches up so I know to lift him
And wash one soft, chubby hand
And then the other, and wipe his face.

Then he climbs up and gets his spoon,
Climbs down to the dishwasher so I open it
And he can put in his spoon.

He climbs up to get his bowl—not always empty—
And brings it to the dishwasher, too.
Then he opens the cupboard and gets
The box of soap,
And if we don’t run the dishwasher,
He grows
Distraught.

We will teach him about
Conservation
Tomorrow.