Collage

The boy had to make an autumn collage, so we went out gathering leaves. Together on the ground they look so perfect; it's only when you look up close that you see all the flaws. Tears and spots and nibbled holes, and edges already rotting. I thought we'd never find enough that we could use. The boy put a brave face on it: he found smiles and stars and hidden creatures in all those blemishes, and he stuck them on the page without complaining. But I looked at his collage, and all I could see was mess.