She lies awake in moon-soaked sheets
How will it go?
A binding of stomach muscles
As she dreams of turbulence and adventure

Tomorrow comes
And she wades
Through sparkly backpacks
Jackets in the most neon of shades

Heaving open the door
Fracturing the dam
She lets in the children
Each treading carefully
As if on a balance-beam log
I won’t let you fall into the water

She knows her task
To arm them against the scatter of words
The mishmash of numbers
The worry

They sit-squirm in a circle
Grabbing veggies with their chubby fingers
Gabbing about PB&J dolphins and grape-purple clouds
Shimmering with happy-sweat

Climbing the bars
They reach the very top of the world
She waits
Letting them navigate their way
Back down to the wood chips

Mamas and daddies file in
The kids give her gooey hugs
Can we come back tomorrow?

Night falls
And in moon-soaked sheets
She flies
She flies with them