The Way We Used To

Are we wasting our time away,
all this time spent awake
when we could be sleeping.

Every day is the same day but
played in reverse, monochrome
framed grey caught between
blacktop ball game stained
shoes playing hooky with the
laces pulling tight a child’s
smile six feet from the hills
we rolled down – it’s so dizzy
                at the top.

Strolling with collars popped
        – big boy style –
our hair pulled back into
a surprised laugh and a chance
look aft to try and catch a guilty
glance of conscious denial punctuated
        by a ruler slap,
but also a giggle with a snap
of heads looking down pouring over
spilt milk dribbling as a brook
from out your nose like the
carefully placed barefoot on
slippery rocks, a game of red rover
to get to the other side and knock
over all but the tricky pins sittin'
in the corners while y’all
run around havin' all the fun
and games we used to play on
stormy days like today.

Please, tell me something
so I can fall asleep at night.
A prayer lost on the tip of my
fingers pleading for a bedtime
story with an ending enveloping
me with tucked in blankets and
grownup dreams laced sweet with
warm milk and kisses and a word and
                an end.

        Tell me something
so that I may rest in peace.

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