Early learning

Early learning
Richard Meier

He's had his go, so now his sister
 gets to be the one being chased
 and gets to be the one who's caught
 and reassembled by mum's embrace.

He tries to watch, to wait quietly
 and for ten, twenty seconds keeps still
 but then proceeds to squeal¹（告密） and scamper²（蹦跳，奔跑）
 pretending he's being chased as well

and, even though his mother blanks him,
 carries on—since what else is there?—
 and might have never stopped had she
 not saved him with a chase-like gesture;

and calmed now, back in her arms,
 he studies her for recognition
 of their shared fib—grin at the ready—
 as if it were all done with, nothing