[Cadaverous Pallor]

Outside Toys

Playing outside
sky was pretty
with clouds and blue in between
two friends were there
Shannon from across the street
Jodie from the house on the corner
we got bored of Treasure Hunt so we
went back into my room
Jodie saw the hammock (she’d never
been in my room before)
and got all excited
stuffed animals
put aside, no longer fun
“let’s play with ALL of them”
I didn’t know what else to do
so out they came into daylight

I was kinda worried my
parents wouldn’t like it
not “outside toys”
so we went to the side of the house

you know
the side
where the grass is dead
and the tree is lopped off
cause it’s easier and no one sees anyway

we used the old patio chairs
so White Teddy could organize a revolt
against Smarty King Lion’s regime
Duracell Bunny was lookout
Dumbo found out and tried to warn Lion
but he didn’t believe him
we were just getting to the part
where Panda refused to go along with the scheme
when Mom called me in

the girls ran off before I could turn around
there was all this stuff, outdoors, dirty
I knew I couldn’t get it in without mom seeing
so I figured I’d eat dinner
and sneak them in later

Dad brought home a new movie
about a kid’s toys that are real
so we watched it after dinner
then I went to bed

I woke up and remembered.
Looked out my window
snow
lots of snow, still falling
didn’t know it was so soon
there was nothing I could do
and I cried
and tried to hide it from mom
but she always knows

and I told her
(at least I was crying that
helps you not get in trouble)
and she was sad with me
and reminded me that here
in Juneau
the snow stays all winter
and that if we took them in now
it would be a lot of work
and they were already ruined

instead, I waited
stomped around in boots and
made snowmen
snow bunnies snow lions snow teddy bears
waited for spring

had to visit Gram for a weekend and came back and
the snow was gone
green was growing
and there they were
all wrecked

I was happy and sad too
found them and didn’t even need
a treasure map
my mistake was still here
on the side of the house where
no one sees


-- js 9/5/07