Dipping My Toes

When I was a little girl I used to dip my toes in puddles.

I used to chase paper boats down the street after a storm and inhale the wet rain smell.

I used to play in the snow for hours and not even realize how cold I was until I went inside.

I used to walk on the prairie for hours and pick wild flowers.

I used to wade in dam water and pretend I was in the ocean.

I used to swing so high, I would slightly panic.

I used to lay in the grass and watch the clouds go by wondering what part of the world they were going to and what they would do when they got there.

I used to rake leaves into a huge pile, just to jump in them and throw them in the air again.

I used to get up early to watch cartoons on a Saturday morning and eat cereal on the living room floor in front of the console tv.

I used to eat cherries and plums from the wild.

I swore I was going to marry Chachi or Danny Zuko.

I used to break geodes open to gather the crystals and add to my rock collection.

I used to pretend I could control the wind with my thoughts and that I was always in a movie.

I used to draw pictures and write stories to go with it and the stories never had an ending.

When I was a kid, my childhood was ok and it wasn't hard for me to say that. I grew up ok.

Sometimes I wished I could dip my toes into my childhood again.