i preferred climbing trees
to endless games
of tag or war
played with silver
toy guns reflecting glints
of scattered summer sunlight
on hazy afternoons —
sitting high up near
the top of some thin maple
or stately oak
and perhaps just a tiny bit
closer to god
as warm lazy breezes
swayed those branches
to and fro
and me right along
with them as i sat there
perfectly perched
and lost among the leaves
while boys far below
shouted out their nonsense
to an unseen audience
of one.
