"Purpaleanie!"

I had only seen pictures of airplanes.
Once one that was lost
flew over our pasture
when you and I were
herding cows toward
the barn. They ran
away, frightened.
I was frightened
too, not that it
would hurt us,
but that we
wouldn't
live up
to the
event.
"May I
cal to it, Pa?"
"Go ahead."
So I called louder
than I knew I could:
"Purpaleanie!"
When I had
proclaimed the sum of wisdom --
a fitting response to any visitor from
heaven -- I was not frightened any more.