The Pearls of Catharsis Times Issue 04, July 2017 | Page 46

The days of summer
I don't want to grow up
I want the days of summer
To be as long as I remember
The cool fresh water
Running down my chin
Onto the soft grass at my feet
I want to go to the park
And swing on the swings
Legs pumping high
And stomach dropping
Watching the ground shift
Feet flying over trees
Until the only thing I can see
Is the clear blue sky
I want to play outside
On the hottest days
And only stop long enough
To eat orange Popsicles
That melt sticky all over
My hands and finger s
Licking and slurping up the
sweet mess
Until my lips are stained orange
I want to drink
Straight from the garden hose
I want to make
Rainbows of spray
That fall down on me
And cool my skin
Then I want to jump
In the mud puddles I have
created
I want to ride my bicycle
As fast as I can down a giant
hill
My hair blowing behind me
Let go of the handle bars
And find my balance
Before I go sideways
And then walk right back up
the hill
To do it all over again
I want to run around the lawn
In my bare feet
Feel the blades of grass
Reach and tickle
between my toes
I want the soles of my
feet
To be black from the
tarmac
When I come inside
At the end of the day
Because I have forgotten
Where I left my shoes
I may have gotten older
But I don't ever
Want to grow up
-Lori Carnegie Ryan