fred's homework

fred rye V

handed me

his homework

one year

and 75 days

late.

yellowed paper, 

in faded pencil - 

ancient 

manuscripts

from a 

high schooler's

tomb.

i said,

"what do you

want for this?"

and he replied,

"recognition."

we swapped smiles

and i set the stack

of post-dated

past behind

us.

"looks like you're

set to graduate

fred."

and he 

reminded me, 

"it's never too

late to have

a happy childhood."