CURIOSITY
by Jane Murphy
I creep up to the window, Press my nose against the glass. I see my brother playing With some children on the grass. They toss a ball and sometimes fail To catch it, but they try. It must be fun, because they laugh, But I can’t fathom why. I’m yearning to know what they’re saying, And I might like to play what they’re playing. I just have a million questions That will need a million answers, So I’ll watch it all and listen well, And maybe then I’ll know. The morning sun is shining As I walk out through the door, In hope of spying something That I haven’t seen before. A neighbor passes on the path, A parcel in her hand. She must be walking to the town. I’d like to understand What object of worth does she bear, and What purpose has prompted her errand? If I ask a million questions, I can find a million answers, So I’ll ask them all and listen well, And maybe then I’ll know. A breeze is gently nudging As I venture to the road, And soon a man approaches With a horse to bear his load. He greets me with a friendly smile, His treasures on display: Assorted tools and gadgets In a marvelous array. I wonder, just how does he use them? And what fate would befall should he lose them? If I ask a million questions, I can find a million answers, So I’ll ask them all and listen well, And maybe then I’ll know. I hear the sound of voices And strange music in the air. I press on to the highway To see what awaits me there. And there behold a wonder When at last I steal a peek: A band of bards and vagabonds, And each one is unique. What arts and what skills are they knowing? And would I like to go where they’re going? If I ask a million questions, I can find a million answers, So I’ll ask them all and learn, And maybe someday I will go.
