Do you remember?
We ran through the woods like there were goblins fast at our heels. Laughter bounced off the trees, echoing back at us, yet we pretended we were the ones who could save the forest from destruction. Every single step was just one more point on the journey of our imaginations' map.
Do you remember?
We caught fireflies in our hands by nightfall and giggled with delight as their spindly legs brushed our palms. Then we'd let them loose to be tiny lights in the humid summer air. Each one was like a star, blinking in and out of being in a faraway galaxy. We thought we could be the rulers of the universe.
Do you remember?
We flew through page after page of our favorite books, each one a precious gift from the library. Our mothers would shake their heads at us and smile in ways that might have told us our childhoods would be far too fleeting. But we had no mind for any of that when there were dragons to find and treasure to unearth and a kingdom to save.
Do you remember?
We thought we would outlive every story and become the heroes in our own lives. We didn't think of things like jobs and taxes and mortgages. Our minds were filled to the brim with magic, swords, and destiny. What more existed beyond the mundane lives our parents led? Surely we would never succumb to so bleak a plot.
Do you remember?
We treated that summer like it was the rule — not the exception. It didn't matter that we'd left behind bullies and failed exams and teachers who didn't understand us. Who cared what awaited us on the back half of August? We had June and July to let our dreams take flight. And then summer would always be the reprieve ever after, no matter what the rest of the year held in store for us.
Do you remember?
But we had to grow up. That summer led to others where the magic wore thin. No longer was it a time to play witches and wizards in my backyard and pretend the tree was the immortal Yggdrasil that needed to be saved from Ragnarok. You wanted to do something else, to play basketball like the other boys, and me? I wanted you to be happy. I just didn't want to be left as another damsel in someone else's game.
Do you remember?
Our summers of magic and mayhem faded away — but I still remember every single moment.
The question: do you?
For more poetry, you may want to take a look at my compilation list below: