Jonah’s Secret

Jonah’s Secret
by Rosemary French

Jonah has a magical way
Of making a tiny drawer roll out from the wall
It’s location is undetectable by even the most trained eye
The seams are invisible
He brushes a spot on the wall with the back of his hand
And a matchbox pops out
A hiding place for his secret stash – a solitary bb pellet
One day, I discovered the code
A trick of computer science that Jonah and I had learned together in high school
I replaced his beloved orb with a solitary broccoli tendril
When he found the soggy sprig, he wept
How dare you, he whimpered
I explained that he had come to love his black ball too much
Moving in closer, I whispered into his ear
I am teaching you how to let go