#297 An Empty Playground Poem by Jimmie Arrington

And as I rest on the park bench here
My mind’s at ease and my thoughts are clear.
I take a good look around.
The moonlight shines on the colored bars
Miles below the planets and stars.
A soft breeze is the only sound.

Four chain-linked swings sit perfectly still
As if frozen in the midnight chill.
“U” shaped shadows lie below.
The monkey bars have been used quite well,
The grips are missing their red painted shell.
Its age is starting to show.

A ladder leads to a bright yellow slide
That bends, curves and twists to the side.
At the bottom the sand is piled.
Another leads to a blue one that’s straight,
It’s a shorter slide for a shorter wait,
For the anxious, impatient child.

On every inch of sand you’ll find
A tiny shoeprint left behind,
Leaving countless shapes and lines.
Near the back there is a climbing wall
Which looks as though it’s twelve feet tall,
With small steps for slight incline.

A giant game of Tic-Tac-Toe
Can be played by kids who take it slow
Or need to catch their breath.
A teeter-totter waits by itself
Looking like a bare, tilted shelf,
Needing attention and bored to death.

There’s a turtle and a bunny thing
Linked to the ground by a bulky spring
That rocks to and fro.
A bridge leads to a small opening
Where a metal pole will quickly bring
You down to the sand below.

But why am I here on this park bench at night
Depicting a playground beneath moonlight?
Cause it helps fight the urge to cry.
It’s too hard to think the past must end.
It’s too hard to miss my only friend.
It’s too hard to write goodbye.