i chose to tell you a story you could understand
you were children, barely awake
i knew if i told you fifteen billion years
you’d never believe me
and a number that big would be meaningless to you
you were just learning to count up to twenty
so i told you it took me a week
children’s stories for children
later i told you the story of how i was my own son and could die for you
and how there were some useful things you could learn if you thought about this
even took it to heart
more a story for adolescents than for children
a riddle to challenge growing minds
now you’ve come all this way—lately you’ve grown so fast!—
so let me tell you another story
you can’t have nothing unless you have something
and if you have anything you have to have everything
as for the rest of it, you’re on your own
(Copyright 2023 by Tetman Callis.)