It was a metal door
Noisy and heavy
Behind it was off-limits to us, though children never listen
More than a garden and some sprinklers made of plastic bottles
It was where we could exist in whatever world we created
No one's rules but our own
Core memories created under the shade of a lemon tree
They didn't tell me that the older I got, the less magical this place would feel
Now I stand here a decade later
And in the harsh light of reality, it just looks like a closed door
The paint is chipped and starting to rust from the rain
And though it doesn't feel as heavy now, I dare not open it
I would rather it stay exactly as we left it
So that my jar of marbles and Grandfather's stories can lay to rest
Adulthood is full of doors, and you never know what's inside them
At least I know my childhood will forever be safe
Protected by this metal door and the guardian who stands beside it