I recall last September

with her gentle breezes and echoes of Summer

when children were at the conclusion of their boredom

and parents were at the end of their ropes.

When school supplies were cheap

Ten notebooks for a dollar!

yet unbelievably expense:

Who in the world thought Organic Paste

was a good idea?

Our children stood in line and waited for the signal

learning about pavlov and his responsive dog

learning about algebra, where math meets spelling

learning about the difference green beans and mashed potatoes

because they are both the exact same color.

Christmas break came and went

(but we didn’t call it that)

Easter break came and went

(but we didn’t call it that)

We all learned that we can safely identify something

by calling it what it isn’t.

As always, the sun got brighter.

Suddenly our children came home

with shopping bags full of fossilized papers

and half-used crayons

and forgotten cheetos

Because it was time to clean out their lockers and desks.

Everyone was happy on the last day of school.

Even the teachers.

And they should be.

Because everyone needs a break.

And we all must remember that

it’s our turn in September.