There’s a Child Outside My Window

A little girl plays in my neighbor’s tree

Her blonde locks swirl in the breeze

Her sturdy legs straddle a low-lying limb

As if she’s riding a strong brown steed

Taking her on a wild adventure

In her lap sits her trusty pink bunny

Its ears bounce as she hops up and down

“Hold on!” she calls. “We’re going fast.”

I watch

Remembering my days in our pecan tree

No horse for me, but rather a house

Each limb a room for pretending

To cook or sleep or play

The master of my own private world

Uninterrupted

In sweet communion

with cardinals and mourning doves

So like this little girl

Dreaming dreams

Imagining grown-up lives

Photo by Allan Mas