The little boy stood in the middle of the hallway
amid lockers and boxes,
tables and people,
looking around, seeing the walking and talking,
chanting and carrying.
He didn’t know it, but he was seeing the future.
His future.

The old school was being torn down.
First came the auction.
Then the demolition.
Even as the new school was rising out of the playground
in back, next to the softball diamond.

It was a beautiful school,
with shiny red bricks
and a modern, curved entrance.
It wasn’t finished and it still looked impressive.

But the little boy couldn’t see the new school yet.
He didn’t know about the demolition.
He didn’t understand the auction.
All he saw was the walking and talking,
chanting and carrying,
as the planning for his future swirled all around him.