Careful
“You be careful, young lady”
“Yes, mother” Whatever.
Like I’m never
Careful.
I start to walk, basket in hand.
After awhile,
I pass
Someone else on the road.
“Out for a walk in the woods?
Be careful, there’s wolves in there”
“Yes, sir” Like I care.
I’ve never seen a wolf before
And I’m always
Careful.
Now I see
Something else up ahead.
Furry, gray,
lying on the side of the road.
Is it dead?
As I approach, I notice
Its open eyes.
It’s alive.
And it stands up,and asks,
“Where are you going?”
It was polite,
And seemed kind
So I say,
“I’m going to visit
My grandma today.”
“Where does she live?”
And then I remember
“Careful”
But still I reply,
“Just down this road,
To the left”.
“Oh, not that way!
There are lions,
And tigers,
And bears.
You should be careful.
Take the longer route.
Turn right at the next fork.”
I thank
The thoughtful wolf,
And go the way he said
When I got to her house,
My granny was dead
The woodsman killed the wolf,
And then he said,
“And this, Little Red Riding hood,
Is why you should always be
Careful.”
I tell my story to my children today,
Warning them against speaking to strangers.
When you think you
Know everything
Is when you dicover new dangers.
And I always tell them
To be
Careful.