16 Write about a Moment of Wonder from Your Childhood

Late Night Talk Show

on summer nights

when we lie in bed

too hot to sleep

My brother and I

would do

a late night talk shows

where we talked about

everything

we wondered

about.

If the earth

is a planet and the

sun is just a star,

does that mean

there are millions

of earths

floating

around

millions of suns

and millions

of summer

kids

in millions

of summer beds

thinking millions

of thoughts

that we

are thinking

right now?

In the background

an old fan whirred

and blew steamy

summer air

in our direction.

Why am I me

and not my friend

Johnny Manning?

How did I get in this

body with these parents

in this town?

Why do I have

these thoughts

on hot summer nights?

He would fall

asleep

and I would listen

to his steady

snore,

my mind

buzzing with

the electricity

of wonder

till sleep

pulled me

back into

the boat.

Barry Lane