Youth Laced Courage

bring me back

to the Highland

Grove community pool
where Aunt Rosie
would take us,
where the rocks

jutted out just

below the sand
that we dove

through to hit
the volley ball

for one more

chance to win,
where we would
sink below the
water and brave
the very limits
of Life Itself

just to see

which of us

could do it,
where we never
dreaded about cutting

our feet on

the dirt hills
and rusty fences

because the ice
cream truck’s striking

bells instilled courage

in our hearts.

bring me back

to when we

rode our bicycles

down Oakly Hill
without helmets so

we could actually

feel the wind

on our faces,

as the gods

watched and laughed
when we landed
hard.