When is the timing right
To apply a label,
And what makes it stick?
An apple labeled as such
Prematurely
Will not cease its apple-ness.
But its development
May be incomplete:
A yellow oval on a field of red.
When is the time right
To call a child smart,
Or loving or kind or sharing?
And how about messy,
Rude, mean, or dumb?
Some labels stick better than others.
© 2015 H.K. Longmore
Musings of a Kunderian Monster 