I Was Thirteen Poem by Kyle Schlicher

That summer
came swiftly upon me.
School was out for three
glorious
months.
Nothing to do except
play ball,
go swimming in the creek
and do nothing.
We were new in town.
I had already
made some new friends.
Back then all I had to do
Was grab my baseball glove
and find the local playground.
I would always
find
new friends by doing that
one little thing.
One particular
morning
I was up early
and outside
enjoying
the early sunshine.
I climbed the old tree
in the backyard
that grew beside
the Vocational Agriculture building
that was next to our house.
I climbed high enough
to drop down upon
the building.
I walked to the roof peak
and looked around at everything
below.
I was alone.
I could hide there forever!
I lay down on my back
and watched the clouds
race white against
a sky of blue.
No one could touch me there.
I was safe.
I watched the birds
as they flew about the tree.
This was my world
I was happy I was young
and not older.
I had a long time to go.
I was thirteen.

(10-07-1973)