For 10 years we held our stuffed animals dearly
Our princess costumes and crowns well-worn and loved
After being traipsed through supermarkets, Targets, and Costco.
We grew out of them eventually, retiring them to our closets and under our beds
Just a reminder of a time that had once existed
A time where the biggest issue we had was what color crayon we should choose.
These problems diminished as we acquiescently moved to higher and higher grades
Our childlike personalities fading as our ages became greater
And our minds became full of math equations and scientific definitions.
We surrendered our scooters, training-wheel bikes, the time we spent outside playing in the street
Parading the loud, obnoxious laughs that echoed off the houses that caught our overthrown tennis balls.
Our flushed faces coated with chocolate ice cream after long hot days in the sun
Taking to the pool to cool off after our eventful days in our made-up worlds.
Faces becoming freckled with a red tint left by the sun’s blazing glare
And red rings in endless circles around our eyes from the tight goggles that kept pool water out of our eyes
As we raced to deep end to retrieve the tossed toys before they hit the bottom.
10 years of sunburns, freckles, gap-toothed smiles
Childish laughs, braided hair, and wide eyes
As we told intricate made-up stories of our alternate lives that take place in our broad imaginations.
Photo Credits: Days of the Year
