TEND YOUR KIDS, NOT A GARDEN

Like many of my poems, this is based on a true story:

"Everyone thinks of changing the world,

but no one thinks of changing himself." 

                                          --Leo Tolstoy

TEND YOUR KIDS, NOT A GARDEN
by matt burns

The red-headed boy runs at the family of geese
And the other boy rides his bike at them
The geese run off into the woods 
Scared
The red-headed boy throws a rock at them as they flee
I don't know if it hits any of them
They're hidden by the trees now

I'm walking my dog
Too far away to discipline these boys
Shouting like I want to will only scare my own dog
The costs outweigh any benefits
I'm muzzled

I turn the corner
I see the oblivious mother of the boys tending a garden
Some sort of 'green' project in front of the elementary school
I want to slap her in the face
Wake her up

Tend your own kids
Before you tend a fucking green garden