Ollie Ollie Oxen Free

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free by Odin Roark Corners to peer around The harlequin of angles Where peeking Reveals Where being stuck Confines Where feeling trapped Separates Our remembered child stands Eyes squeezed shut Face buried where two walls meet Counting to one-hundred While confidence sought To play out our innocence Beneath Behind Beside A trusted game Waned Time passed Shorts became pants Pants became suits Nostalgia echoed once more “Ollie ollie oxen free” Still we remained Unwilling to believe The forged sincerity Baited with fiendish smile Enticed with charm Was but to set up The next furtive trap Suddenly Acquiescence lay naked Villainous schemers Knowing but numbers Who lured Cajoled Seduced Our reluctance to cave Are… Later We dragged ourselves away Kicking and screaming “We only wanted to play the game Not be the game” Emptiness invaded Freedom to respond To return home To trust a voice Wasn’t so Anymore Ollie ollie oxen free So simple So everlasting Now but an epitaph