The First Time

I don't remember what it was like to not be able to read. Before starting kindergarten, one of my favorite things to do was to cuddle up next to my mother as she read to me. A book junkie herself, my mother would take us to the library when they hosted events for children. When I started kindergarten I was bored. My boredom stopped the day my teacher asked the class to write a poem about our favorite color. I knew what a poem was but I had no idea how I was going to pick one color to write about. I liked all colors! The classroom was buzzing with the sounds of ideas, questions, and grown up voices giving suggestions and answers. I looked across the room and the buzzing faded away. For the first time I had locked eyes with a boy who made me forget about everything except the blue in his eyes. We stared at each other the way little kids do - shameless, curious, and innocent. I didn't have the knowledge or words to know that I had just realized my first crush. I knew my new favorite color was blue and I wrote this poem.

BLUE is the color of the sky that spreads over the earth

BLUE is the color of jeans and all those wonderful jellybeans

BLUE is the color of water we need for our thirst

BLUE is the color of eyes that stare first