A Humble Treasure

The sun beams down on my skin. 

The rays tingle, 

warning of the burns to come, 

but at this moment I don’t care. 

My Nonna walks parallel to me. 

We move in a waltz: 

moving forward with my left foot, 

the right follows it to the side. 

They come together and then move back. 

The steps of our dance carry us along the beaten sidewalk.

I move cautiously, 

dodging deep cracks in the sidewalk. 

We swivel along the concrete, 

avoiding crawling bugs, uneven pavement, and shattered glass. 

Like pirates, we navigated treacherous oceans 

and reached the treasure beyond life’s traps. 

It’s nothing special, 

simply a humble playground. 

Its skeleton is engulfed in cobwebs, 

and scattered across the cheap plastic are key marks. 

The colors are dull 

and unlike something for children;

instead, they are dispiriting shades of tan and red. 

Still, it was a treasure, and today we intended to relish it. 

“Come on,” my Nonna commanded. 

I bolt just behind her, 

she lifts me up above the ground;

for a fleeting moment, I’m flying free 

The wind’s fingers tangle and weave through my thick and unruly hair. 

I am pulled back by the earth, 

my bare feet landing hard and sending a slight shudder through my bones. 

Nonna lays along a narrow bench and sneaks a disparaging sigh. 

I mutter something displaying my worry.

“Go on, don’t spend all this time with me. You have fun today”. 

I manage a skewed smile wishing she’d prioritize herself. 

Still, I take advantage of her kindness 

and run to a mangled slide.

It stands as a memory of times cruel tole. 

I glide up and down the slide endless times

until the dark sky creeps up on me, 

stealing back its treasure. 

I beg my Nonna to not go back home, 

beg for her to let me stay in this moment, 

but it’s a meaningless effort.

We trek back this time in sluggish movements, 

another reminder of time’s cost.

The feeling of burns on my skin, 

sores on my feet, 

an aching in my bones, 

and starvation in my stomach 

accompany us on our journey.

We return to our dim,  dingy home filled with many others. 

I reminisce on the joys of our voyage. 

Oh, how I miss it! I whisper to myself, 

though I dare not let the others hear my greed.