• Haven

    Hidden.
    No one can find me if I don't want them to.
    Safe.
    Masked behind the sweeping limbs trimmed in green,
    They are my security.
    I hide here in order to escape the searing metal of the play structure
    only a few steps away.
    The broad limbs surround me in its folds like a blanket,
    Protecting me.
    My Fortress of Solitude amidst a chaotic world of screaming children.
    Each one is clambering to get in front,
    To be next in line for the slide.

    As if a tiger in a jungle I look out at the frolicking;
    Watching, waiting,
    Timing my moment to emerge out into the sunlight.
    Seeing out, easier than looking in,
    A perfect spot to lay in wait.
    Mother's skirt shielding a shy child from the world,
    Clinging to the fabric of foliage makes them invisible to wandering eyes.

    Looking up there is just enough light to see by,
    But not enough to scorch the tender skin atop my head.
    The air grows cool under the sheltering branches,
    A natural refrigerator made special for hot summer days.
    The grass surrounds an island of dirt,
    Roots weaving in and out of the earth like serpents.
    The aged, gnarled trunk stands tall,
    A monument of time itself.

    However, my haven is not my own.
    Others have learned it's secrets and I am no longer alone.
    The sanctity of my personal clubhouse has been tainted,
    Sand is tracked in and mingles with the soil.
    I am run out of my safety net.
    Susceptible once more to the harsh UV rays.

    A new morning dawns,
    The trek to the park is filled with anxiety.
    Will my place be taken?
    Have I been ousted, never to find tranquility again?
    Swift feet carry me to the canopy.
    Slowly, cautiously,
    My head peeks in between two bowed limbs,
    Welcoming their true ruler home once again.
    I am pleased to find my haven empty,
    Ready once more for a day of play.

    A tiger, a child, a sailor, a queen,
    All can be a resident.
    The sky is the limit and imagination has no bounds.
    All will be feasting and fun,
    Just as long as no hunter, bully, captain, or king
    Comes to usurp my haven from me.

    (c) 2004-2005