Voices

Today I started hearing voices

From classrooms at Colonial Heights…

Elementary school friend’s laughter,

Teacher’s reprimands and playground fights.

I heard roller skating accidents,

Skateboard fails, and felt scabbed knees.

I heard bicycle riders screaming,

Before collisions with oak trees.

I heard the laughter in the splashing,

In the summer's swimming pools.

Seems we all took bows in middle school,

Proudly showing off as fools.

We sent clandestine notes in class,

Promising friendships lasting forever…

Only to realize fifty years later,

There’s been no communication what so ever.

Once we were the super heroes,

Bath towel capes, guarding the streets.

Soda bottles were our currency

For Kryptonite and available sweets.

Every single friend’s dog or cat,

Was an accepted clubhouse member…

We were children of the creeks and fields,

Until school started in September.

We gathered neighborhood children,

Some were enemies, but still best friends.

Ignorant that our futures,

May involve rest homes and Depends.

The young are unaware of time,

Eternity is the life they’ll live;

One day they will have just minutes,

Then only seconds left to give.