under cotton clouds and open blue sky–
felt so gazelle to run wild
screaming and yelling like banshee

trotting in circles tilting the head
side to side with circling eyeballs
the skin tanning brown as islanders
freckles and missing teeth
skinned knees were a badge
outdoor kids - sun-babies
siestas in tree forts
to be cooped up in the house
was cruel and unusual

we often played the game
that a grass covered hill behind the house was
a sun lit mountain
racing up
to reach the summit first
that high place as
kings and queens

while the slow pokes wrestled
rolling around tickling to take the crown–
we had a blast
more than a boatload of monkeys
but only if the royals
didn’t over inflate their heads
as the monarchs fitted with
the dandelion crown
then we would roll down the hill
and try to stand up quick
looking loopy










4.9 10/8
© Brian Peter Hodgkinson