OUR POND

Across a stream as wide as a boy’s arm,

Four young boys had piled rocks and stones;

Then added twigs, grass, mud and sand

To form a small dam nearly three feet high.

The muddied waters didn’t clear till dark,

But the boys were back right after dawn

Eager to test the water’s chill bite

As this April day was not yet Spring.

They were ready to jump in

When they saw that a band of watersnakes

Had staked their claim to this pool.

But the oldest boy knew that watersnakes

Were harmless, so they all jumped in

And splashed about so loud and hard

That those watersnakes just gave up

And moved on to find a quieter place.