Was a wave

The back of her head

Acorn cap tilted to lazy sun and cloudy sky

Soldier steps in scuffed shoes, pocket hands in woolen caverns shorn hand sewn threads of cat cradles in fingertips

Clutching

Stones scattered of

Archaic stories of black mud and eons of travels spread like

A million stories in her head

Were she was a wave

In the invisible but tactile breeze

A nuance to send a pinwheel

Or love letter floating

To her future soul mate

Or self

But now 

She marches into the olive grey

Building

That smells like succotash

Elmer's glue and crushing non acceptance. 

There are dried prunes that have been painted over on the ceiling of the din of the cafeteria

Urine stains in the special ed room

And a teacher that drags her to the front of class by the ear and smells 

Like her daddy when he's 'tired' 

A boy who kisses her on the lips by the swing set is covered

In dried yellow mustard from lunchtime corn dog

His blonde Snow White mess of un combed hair delights her

Differently than her own jet black and stiff to the chin.

instinctively mysteriously 

And wild she pulls the edge of her red ice skating skirt up and over dimpled thighs

Showing her white cotton with butterflies while hiding her shy face behind the length of the fabric, in snarled embarrassed fingers ducking down to cover her smile completely.

They are married now, 

he shrugs indifferently, 

she's chilled by mid day clouds

And lowers her skirt after forgetting

And he runs 

Back to the sand dunes

To make work of hot wheels and idle 3rd grade gossip

King of the teeter totter

Leaves the queen

of the merry go round

To swing alone

pushing herself higher and higher

Were she was a wave 

on the hand of her mother dropping her on the corner

Pink apron and worn hushpuppy shoes

She's pushing higher now

legs like telephone poles digging feet deep in the moist gravel as they pass the ground beneath her pendulum escape,

Mamas face,

The squeaking chains 

Moan and shriek 

Like guardian angels

Taking her away on kite paper wings

Toes touching lazy sun 

she sings