galloping across the field
lady knights on imaginary steeds
making up new names every week
to go with new stories

cold white puffs of breath
pretend dragons breathing smoke
flying
from the rocks to the ground

iditarod around the playground
sled dogs without a sled
follow the leader
with the musher at the end

there was a stream behind the trees
forbidden to go close
i said hello from the top of the hill
my friend when i wanted to think

our house was near the other trees
pretending to eat pine-cone fish
teachers said to stay out of woods
we mostly did

going back to visit
nothing’s the same
sad rememberings
the ghost of recess past