In the sandbox of my memory
reasons come and go
Castles worn in corners scorned
left without a moat

Granulated laughter
idle unreleased
Waiting for a last return
covered over deep

The jungle gym sits dormant
a mass of rusted links
One ring missing ladder gone
the rope swing short and kinked

The teeter totter frozen
its pivot rusted tight
The sliding board a one-way trip
fading into night

The sandbox of my memory
where feelings go to die
My childhood friends whose echo’s rend
timeless bye and bye

Still one last voice is buried
deep within the grains
The one I shunted until now
—calling out my name

(The New Room: August, 2022)