in the summer days are supposed to be longer
sun beaches shorts flip flops snow cones
& freedom from bells & books
adventure experiences long days spent dreaming
about becoming older wiser taller or just older
some summers swallow you hot sweaty trying
not to get lost in the sauce days no school lunch
hungry no one home roaming trouble easy to find
in the summer we meet at the center with the locked doors
we play in the yard learning to become
under the 100 year old trees in a shrinking neighborhood
that is no longer ours but we remember in the summer
that we can be anything go anywhere become what we want
the teacher relearns it every summer as she grows farther
away from the neighborhood that is no longer ours even
though she still comes in the summer to make us taller
to pray us living in the world becoming
she smiles she hugs she loves you can tell
we are safe as she tries her hardest to help us become
forces of nature unstoppable hard to kill easy to love
she has a high bar we jump towards the sky to reach it
she says we are able so we are
she says we are fierce so we are
she says we will have to be stronger than other children
but she wants us to remember we are children
so we play hard learn hard as she loves us into living
our dreams in the summer at the center with
the locked doors we learn to become