Microcomm Publications - Poetry: Touching the Sky

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No Water in the Pot
(the education of Andrew)
Copyright © 1991 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch

My young son Andrew's great at doing chores around the house --
Some day he'll make some lucky girl an admirable spouse.
I'm very often proud of him, but one time I was not
Was the day he turned the stove on with no water in the pot.

The burners on my stove are indecipherably marked,
And so it came to pass one day that Andrew deftly parked
A kettle full of water down on burner number four,
Then lighted burner number three, and headed out the door.

Upon the lighted burner sat my favorite stewing pot --
It's often filled with chili beans, but this time it was not.
The kettle never whistled, so I'm sure that Andrew felt
His water hadn't boiled yet. Who could know my pot would melt?

The smell of burning metal is not easily forgot --
I ran into the kitchen and I tried to lift my pot.
But somehow it was welded to the burner for all time,
Its bottom surface glowing red, and thinner than a dime.

It took about an hour for the pot to finally cool
Enough to lift it from the stove. Did Andrew feel the fool?
Of course not. Quite the contrary! My son observed with joy
The pot was truly bottomless, a marvelous new toy.

If he had burned the house down, Andrew would have known disgrace.
But fortunately, stewing pots are easily replaced.
And there is just one lesson which remains for him to learn:
A watched pot may never boil, but neither will it burn.

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