POEM OF THE MOMENT
"BATH"
My parents said I couldn’t go
unless I took a bath.
I said, “You must be kidding me.
A bath is worse than math.”
I wanted to go, so I did what they said.
I filled up the tub with linguini and bread.
I threw in some basil with crab tortellini,
a brick oven pizza, and shrimp fettuccine.
The sauce in the saucepan was next on my list.
I poured it in slowly. I couldn’t resist!
I also included fried eggplant for fun
and four hundred meatballs— IT HAD TO BE DONE!
My time in the bathtub would not be complete
without all the clams I was longing to eat.
I sprinkled fresh pepper and parmesan cheese,
then jumped in the tub with excitement and ease.
Without any warning, my father walked in.
A small piece of garlic was stuck to his chin.
He stood there in awe as I stuffed rigatoni
with diced pepperoni and spicy bologna.
The words that he hollered were “HOLY CANNOLI!
I THINK THIS IS WORSE THAN YOUR AUNT’S RAVIOLI!”
He called for my mom with a frown on his face.
She barged in and yelled, “This is such a disgrace!”
As both of them stood there in grief and disgust,
I offered them pie with a sausage-filled crust.
My father reached out, but my mom slapped his hand.
She screamed, “This is crazy! I don’t understand!”
I chimed in and stated, “I did this for you.
I’m taking a bath like you told me to do.”
My father looked puzzled. My mom scratched her head.
She noted, “You’re right. You have done what we said.
We weren’t specific, so yes— you may go,
but first there is something we’d like you to know—
From now on you’ll bathe the way normal kids do,
in a tub full of water with soap and shampoo!”
Poem Copyright © Darren Sardelli (All Rights Reserved)
