Freshly scrawled on our backyard’s new fence
Was a word that to me, made no sense.
The gang elbowed, guffawed,
Gawked, winked, squawked out haw-haws.
I crowed most, lest they peg me for dense.
Who to ask? Mother? Teacher? Nope. Nope!
Spied the maid. I inflated with hope.
Anne, I asked, “What’s it mean?”
Her lips thinned, “That’s obscene!”
So called “Help” washed my mouth out with soap.
Back in class I stayed in for recess.
Wrestled “Webster’s” up onto my desk.
Miss Schmidt goggled, amazed,
As I cool, and unfazed,
Licked my index, and flipped to the F’s.
We’d “words due,” “gleaned” from “Readers’ Digest.”
That new word surely fuelled my interest.
Wrote it down, adding three
Longer ones new to me;
“Procreate, fornicate, and incest”.
Their meanings--- perplexing, complex.
Each word foisted me onto the next.
Adults? Webster? Aw, shoot!
Were they all in cahoots?
Had grown-ups a kibosh on sex?
I tore up my research in disgust.
Was there no one to ask I could trust?
I ran out to recess
With just ten minutes left.
If I’d known a good word, I’d have cussed!