Panning for Gold

Panning for Gold

When I wanted yellow sweets,

I learned to lose my temper

when she bought me red ones.

When the bluebells came

in droves behind my house,

I learned their perfume

would remind me of friends.

When I bought purple fishnets

in town with older girls -

I learned how to be edgy,

until the next day at school.

When I dyed my hair black

before my Maths exam and

got caught in the rain -

I learned that ratio

could not balance me.

When I found out that Ginger

was not my dad’s name -

I learned that nicknames stick

when you forget who you are.

When I saw the russet

chicken feathers floating

after the fox got in -

I learned that cute can be deadly.

But when I shared an orange with

my girlfriend, when the pith

peeled away and the

juice smeared our mouths,

I learned how to pan for gold.