we used to jump over fences
until one of us inevitably got hurt
it was always me
i’ve always been good at losing my footing
my main talent has always been forgetting

you used to punch my arm
and we would hide in the storm cellar
we spent summers building roofs
and digging up more space

now it’s a forgotten monument
in a backyard with no fence
a staple of my childhood
i haven’t been inside of since elementary school.

i didn’t swing the hammer when i should have
you yelled at me with more vigor than i liked
your behavior has always been innate
you shoved more than you pushed

but i guess i compartmentalized until it made sense.
i forgot until i couldn’t.