Childhood Requiem (Memories Of Swings) Poem by Elizabeth Peterson

Dappled shadows lay on
Uneven wood chips—
A nearly empty
Swingset and one
Solitary
Girl.
She watches her own
Mischievously innocent
Peter-Pan-like shadow and
Remembers a time of
Childhood simplicity
Not quite so far removed that
The memories may still be
Gently touched
Yet they are so
Ill-disturbed
By the rumblings of a
Passing train
Moving slow
Enough that the
Graffitied “Hex” and
Designs of fallen
Angels may still be
Clearly seen
And this draws her
Back in
To the memories of
Childhood innocence
Where these were just
Pretty colors, merely
Fun designs and
If she were to see that
Someone had
Painted over '-y' it
Would maker her wonder
Why someone wouldn’t
Want another name for
“Cat” to be seen
And then the train is
Gone
Air currents resuming
Normal flow and
Chains only rattling from
Her attempts to fly.
The train is gone, but
The memories remain.
Her childhood wonder, blissful
Innocence
And all the
Mistakes
She can only blame
Herself for
Making.
Thoughts of last night’s
Events—her four-year-old
Sweet Sister
Screaming from fear of a
Nightmare—make her
Wish she could protect the
Innocent One
From doing the same.
The girl begins to swing
Again, letting memories form
Broken strands of
Poetry in her mind.
My eyes return to the
Shadow, hers and mine:
A dappled image,
Frozen in time—
One Solitary girl
Tries to teach herself
To fly.

I can almost see her
Wings.

(November 2006)