Lila Bowen

Recess

by Lila Bowen

Tears. scraped knees and elbows and burning blisters to brag about soldiers: rz hundred hours. given the chance to do anything you couldn't even dream of

Cherry bombs fallen, screams erupt from the blacktop. Soldiers crouch, see mirages from the distance grow, as robber runs from cop, claiming foul play in the mud of the diamond dipped in rain, fallen over the playground while grenades fly from brick walls, caught by soldiers hoist their fellow's toes out of the simmering lava with rope makes whirlwinds as humans d"fy-

Gravity pulls the monkeybars down to a fingertip reach shrinks the circumference of the slide

cracks and wavers her swings, her cockpit steals the luster of the dripping diamond and takes her childhood hostage.

She was a soldier. a unit in the minefield

a unit where grenades fly a unit in the swamps

She was a soldier. She had pride. a uniform: stained medals of honor: scars boots: nonexistent

Now she sees eye-to-eye with the monkey bars and tube slides aren't for sliding, but for hiding and diamonds are for ears and fingers

She is not a soldier. but the swings are still her cockpit