He was a teen boy about my age

From the next-door neighbor

But we were literally strangers

In my memory we never spoke

To each other before that day

So, I was perplexed when one afternoon

He showed up unexpectedly

Standing at the front door entrance

He carefully held a duckling

On his cupped palms

Like presenting a precious gift

Sunlight slanting in from outside

Reflected from its fluffy yellow down

Turned the baby duck into

A piece of glistening gold

Your duckling is wandering in the yard

I was baffled as the yard

Was its usual playground

Didn’t know what to say

I apologized for my duckling

And accepted it

Tried to be poised but still awkward

As that was the first time I received

Something from his hands and

In those austere bygone days

It was discouraged

For girls to socialized with boys

I believed he probably peeked through

The window from his house sometimes

Like I did to explore each other secretly

That day I supposed he could not resist his curiosity and

Kidnapped my duckling as an excuse to come over

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States