Sheri Butler Hunt is on the faculty of the Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute in the adult and child divisions. She is in private practice in adult, adolescent, and child psychoanalysis, and psychiatry. Psychoanalytic work inspires her poetry and prose.
Little Billy is behind in schoolSays Mother,He can't spellDoesn't write muchWon't do homework.Do I think it's that ADHD?I do not,But Mother can'tLet him learn just yet.She's too angry.Too afraid.Billy is her big alphabet.I see BillyAnd through his frustrationHe smiles.His anxious intelligence peeksAroundThe corner.Little fox pupLittle seedlingKnows whenNotTo come outAnd show his ABC's.He knowsAll the way A through ZHow to keepHis elemenopeeTo himself.But, he's waited a while.We don't spellOr drillOr practice.He steps outOne Lego, one Monopoly gameOne Crazy 8 at a time.Little hatchlingLittle cub,Then not so little.He starts to see past meAnd the world opens up.He likes his very own elemenopee.