The Lemonade Stand

A Poem from a Child's Point of View.

It had been a hot and sticky summer and, until this week anyway, autumn had followed on the extra warm side, too. That day though, I welcomed a sudden change in temperature. I actually had to wear a jacket.

I was driving home from Walmart errands and a few blocks from home, I spotted the cutest homemade lemonade stand. It was small and set up near the corner on the grass. Mom and dad were sitting behind, probably under the guise of squeezing extra lemons, but mostly under watchful eyes for safety.

It was simply made with cinder blocks one on top of the other at each end and a wide board across for a tabletop. A large hand printed sign hung down, taped to the front of the board. It was printed in crooked capital letters with crayons --the 'N" and both "Es" in the word LEMONADE were backwards, which only added to the sweet mystique.

The whole thing was so adorable, I couldn't resist. I parked my car, bought a glass of lemonade for fifty cents, and told them they could keep the change from my dollar. Jacob, (8), and Sissy, (6), took their business seriously. With loving teamwork, Sissy held the plastic glass, while Jacob poured lemonade from the pitcher into the glass.

Two small faces were solemnly watching my every move ... so, playing my part as a satisfied customer, I drank ALL of my lemonade --even though there wasn't NEARLY enough sugar in it to prevent the sour cheek -pucker. My eyes even watered at the sudden shock and realization.

Weeks went by, and I couldn't stop thinking about the little lemonade stand and its young entrepreneurs. I knew there was a poem in there somewhere, and I was going to find it.

As I had hoped, it finally all came together in a poem for children, from a child’s point of view. Here it is, with a very special twist at the end.

The Lemonade Stand
A Children’s Poem
by CJ Heck

Get your ice cold glass of lemonade!
Hurry, 'fore it's gone.
We made it just this morning.
See the table that it's on?

We promise that you'll like it
and there's sugar in it, too,
not like it was the other day
when mom and dad said, "Ewwwww."

Get your ice cold glass of lemonade!
Boy, grownups sure are funny.
They smile a lot at little kids
who are trying to make money.

Thank you, ma'am, and thank you, sir,
you've helped us out a bunch.
(Sissy, let's go make some more.
It's almost time for lunch).

Get your ice cold glass of lemonade!
Only fifty cents a glass!
(We've got to make more money
and we've got to make it fast!).

Daddy said it wouldn't work,
and people wouldn't stop.
They'd hurry right on past us
and then they'd laugh a lot.

One last glass of lemonade!
This was so much fun!
Let's get this table put away
and then we've got to run.

Sissy look ... it's snowing!
But that will be all right.
Now we have money for presents
and Santa Claus comes tonight.
-
Even thinking about that autumn day brings a smile. But my cheeks still ache when I remember the lemon-sour pucker ...

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
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