Smoke swirled
Flames hot across fresh wood
We sat, ash floating
Between us.

Marshmallow on a wooden stick,
Passed around, until we all had one,
Until all the sticks were over the coals
Except

His —- he whispering to me,
I don’t know how to do this—
No one else noticed, when I took two
Graham crackers, two squares of
Chocolate, and waited
Until our marshmallows caught fire, until
I helped him blow his out and heat blackened white

Again, until I asked him to slide white lava
On the chocolate, scooping it off the
Stick with the other cracker
Half, and asked him to smush it—-
Like this —- just
Smush it down.

Smush, he
Whispered to
Himself.

Now what? looking at me,
Lost still, around the circle, around his first
Fire, until I, nodding, smushed, then
Stuffed mine into my mouth.

Good? I asked, seeing his mouth
Full, he — finally nodding —
Smushed wonderment in his eyes, new melted
Goo
Dripping out of his sweet mouth.

—-Neal Lemery 7/11/2015