Plaid and Stripes

Children clothed in plaid and stripes

Lean on the porch,

Gloves clenching tightly to the snowy railing and

Waving to cars and trucks driving by.

Praying they don’t slip off of frozen boughs, black

And green Velcro sneakers climb evergreens to

Get a better look.

Chrome and silver zoom down the street.

The sound of giggles and excitement

Echo from the tree tops.

Denim pockets dash through branches and race

To the curb to claim Cadillacs and Chevrolets.

Tongues stick out of grinning mouths, and small hands

Clap eagerly as the newest models parade for marveling

Eyes to see.