Shortly before daybreak on July 18th,
Two sharp, tiny claws bored a hole in the ground.
And crawling up from his dark birthplace beneath,
A white nymph emerged without making a sound.
Then, knowing not why - some deep instinct, I s'pose,
He found a tall maple and started to climb.
Soon, into bright sunlight young Albert arose,
And found himself 30 feet high in no time.
The instinct that told him to climb now said, "Stop!"
So Albert latched onto the dry, ragged bark.
And there, very near the great tree's leafy top,
He surveyed the vast expanse of Robbins Park.
"Good time for a stretch," Albert sleepily thought,
And flexed the strong muscles along his white back.
But to his surprise, his small shell grew so taut,
Two wings burst right out through a newly formed crack!
"What fun!" Albert thought. "Wonder if I could fly?"
But they were too delicate to bear his weight.
So he let them hang in the warm breeze to dry,
And rested a moment to deliberate.
"I wonder if anyone else is about?
Of course, I reckon I'd have heard them by now.
Some instinct tells me that they'd give me a shout,
Or some sound their anatomy would allow!"
Alas: he heard nothing, save leaves on the breeze.
No fellow cicada was near to be found.
Albert was alone on his perch in the trees.
His fellows were gone. The new nymphs? Underground.
Alone in a foreign and alien world,
The lonely cicada lamented his fate.
Inside his bug mind, an aching regret swirled.
"Oh, curses! I've woken up three weeks too late!"
But just as he thought he might die from these feels,
He spotted a colorful, strange caravan.
Five riders on metal frames fitted to wheels;
A family ride for the Celauro clan.
Two grownups on big bikes. Behind them, two boys.
The smaller of these cackled gaily, mid-laugh.
And there in the baby seat, clutching some toys:
A curly-haired girl, barely two-and-a-half.
The riders were boisterous - lively and loud.
The kids, in particular, seemed quite untame.
But something about this gregarious crowd
Had piqued Albert's interest as nearer they came.
So without a thought, he departed his tree
Descending quite quickly as they passed below.
And ever so lightly, upon the girl's knee,
He landed ... now bound for wherever they'd go.
They played at the playground. They swam in the pool.
They visited Grandma and picnicked for lunch.
They ran through the sprinklers, trying to stay cool.
They ate ice cream sandwiches, bunch after bunch!
Near dusk, as the family went in for bath,
Albert found a cozy tree in the parkway.
He smiled as he thought of his hopeful new path.
"What blessing, to live a whole life my first day."
- Hinsdale native Peter Celauro is a former contributing columnist. Readers can email him at [email protected].
