Child Play

As a ... child I was carefree played in the mud football my hero goals from the foot teenager I had worries imagined and real twisted illusions hands on the trigger young man I searched for a pearl in the shell submerged in an oyster cracked abalone dreams midlife contender I built castles fortresses and embrasures aimed for dubious targets carried quivers and arrows midlife defender I proceeded octopus in smudged mind jellyfish in a broken soul starfish bereft of shine comet in waiting I flickered pondered the milky way approached reflections condensed my approach fading asteroid I wandered questions unanswered responses transcended beginnings of ends The path took me ... to a compass with no needle the chart lost on the way with a pocketful of marbles and a hole in my trousers away into an underworld a cess pool of promises an anchor rising above shredded sails on the mast to a point of surrender white flag crusted in salt the earth as a rainbow horizon in waves a tool kit of memories scraped knees once again scabby wounds healing shedding my score sheet The aging child ... needs no referee no penalty zone no final whistle no chalk in the dirt thrives in the mud balls up or not shelters a mussel opens the drawbridge back to the square root equating adventures the circle half finished I pump up the ball I moved a few goal posts changed my position of play removed strings from my boots walk the pitch back to the roots Childish or a bit wiser but carefree at last ... 16th May 2020