Hen-Boy

Jack comes into the living room uttering his hen song with a tightly wrapped whatever-it-is in one of his old burp cloths from infancy.

"What are you doing with that blanket, Jack?"

"It's not my blankie, Mom. It's my egg."

"Oh, I see."

He places the "egg" carefully upon the couch, gets up and squats onto the egg.

"Bok! Bok! Bok!"

"Now what are you doing, buddy?"

"I'm the hen. I'm warming this egg so my baby comes out."

"Oh, that's really something, honey."

"Keeeerrrrrr ACK!"

He hops off, unwraps a knit bluebird my friend Shannon made (inspired by Bukowski's 'Bluebird' poem) and hugs the bird tightly.

"See my baby chick, Mommy? SEE IT?"

"Yes, honey, it's gorgeous!"

"His name is Stanley."

"What a lovely name!"