Once Upon a Time

My neighbors younger daughter, Sofia,
Must do terrible things to small animals.
How else to explain her consistently
Sanguine attitude and bright smile.

No doubt Barbara, her mom,
Has contributed time and genes to this child.
Indeed her mom’s enthusiasm for life,
Is writ large in Sofia’s walk.

Unapologetic, she moves
To meet me with no trace of uncertainty.
Nor, does she assume an attitude
That creates pedigrees, or suggests a challenge.

With dramatic overtones, she tells me of her day,
Knowing I will listen.
This child, who will not remain
A young girl much longer.

I sigh, thinking of her inevitable descent
Into the temporarily diminished,
Quasi-functional state
Of teenager.