His hands are small and shaky
as we walk towards the schoolyard.
He sees the fearsome monsters, faces grimacing, their swords raised high
above their heads. Hand in hand,
my unlikely hero and I,
and his Velcro shoes. He knows
he must make friends
with the terrifying creatures lurking
in the sandbox. Armour free
and a Bob the Builder backpack,
he's just as brave as Hercules himself.
With a deep breath, his journey
into the unknown has begun.
The wood chips under his shoes crunch
together as he approaches the monsters.

With the sun coming out
from behind a cloud, a ray of light cascades through the trees, and the hero
thinks to himself, "They don't look quite as scary in the light."
So, with all his might, he steps forward
flashes a nervous smile, a peace
offering.

A sword is suddenly placed in his palm
by an unexpected new friend.
A previous enemy.
He has won the battle, though he is only
three feet tall.
He is now the brave hero among them.
With his warriors surrounding him,
he tilts his head, "Pre-school
wasn't so scary" he thinks.