I was little then

My favorite companions were filled

with stuffing and bits of frayed love. 

I carried them everywhere, tucked 

them into the corners of my bed to 

bury the nightmares. The only hands 

I needed were bigger than mine, soothing 

the sores and wrapping the aches 

with white and kiss. I didn’t know 

about the love others wanted like I loved 

bare feet in minty grass or the taste 

of honeysuckle flowers trailing down, 

kittens perched behind the water jugs, 

pink noses softer than couch cushions. 

But I was little then, when my love was captured

with the fields of caterpillars 

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and the taste of melting popsicles, 

flavors brighter than sun.

Younger and wiser

While my dad was constructing houses

out of dreams and stone, I would follow 

along, plastic tools in hand, determined to build

a city out of youth and small yellow nails. 

The siblings hoisted roofs over the lives 

of legos, and our economy rivaled ancient 

Greece and Rome. My bear had sailed the seven

seas and wore the suit to prove it. Aliens trailed 

behind me, filled with stuffing, little green 

eyes smiling. At night I donned the pirate’s 

charm and interrogated everyone—

tell me about the mutiny. 

The house was my track, a tractor my chariot. 

We rode till dawn. Our riches grew with every cup 

of cool aid, cherries flowing down the sugary 

river of red. And although I didn’t know 

the letters that arched into words of stories and legend, 

I cracked Nintendo games like walnuts, breaking the shell

to unearth the flavor of wisdom.