QUESTIONS ON THE BARRINGTON BAY TRAIL
by Joanna Gilman Hyde
The Hawk Deck 1:22pm
This morning I took a walk
along The Barrington Bay Trail
on the far extension I passed
A Boy and His Father/Uncle
The Boy strode up to Me
asking if there is a difference between
plum sauce and sweet n’ sour —
I replied, “Not much — why
are You asking about sauces
so early in the morning?”
The Uncle/Father explained:
“He’s just been to McDonald’s”
Joanna Gilman Hyde 
I find this mildly depressing.
It seems to be an example of adults (both the Father/Uncle and I) taking away a child’s enthusiasm. Also trying to answer for a child. I appreciate your comment.
There are so many ways I could have answered that child’s typically unpredictable question — and I answered it like a tired unimaginative adult.
I probably have an overfixed opinion on junk food, large corporations and indoctrination. The mild depression is for having to acknowledge that a child’s enthusiasm has been trained to be trained on such unhealthy foodstuffs. I noted also “nature” and “outdoors” among the tags. The poem describes him surrounded by nature yet focussed on something quite egregiously artificial.
This piece is charming in a way… maybe it is the whole “curiosity of a child” aspect, but I like it.
Thank you.
Thank you for this, Ben.
There is actually a McDonald’s… in Nova Scotia?!? Ugh!
Yeah, Barrington and Yarmouth — Shelburne has not.