At School Recess, Near The Shade Trees (Final Version) Poem by Mary Angela Douglas

we built our playhouse
white stones in a ring
a tree at the center
and everything.
brushed with pine branches
the dust from the ground
sectioned off rooms
with green stones and brown
ate the wild honeysuckle
sweet, going down.
recess was magic;
classrooms sedate
living in two worlds
a light piece of yellow cake
easily balanced
oh how we were then
halfway in a dream world
half bird and half fin;
learning to swim to the surface again
when the bell rang and mere children went in.

mary angela douglas 3 january 2022; 26 march 2023