Innocent chil'ren play in sandboxes, boys and girls
Alike. No barriers exist beyond fits and fits of giggles,
Full circle cartwheels. Chil'ren perform the duty of
Mayor in carefully built castles. Adults sit on the
Outskirts, in no hurry to stir trouble. They are too
Relaxed to hiss or hate. The boys play while one girl,
A pre-queen, glides giddy up the stairs, legs free and
Serious, hands flinging out to sea. You'll see her,
Eventually, hopscotching down the boulevard of
Life, needless and free, waiting on Time to heed
What we all know to be true. This sweet, sweet
Life gets on. This sweet, sweet Life gets through.





Patrina C. Jones holds a Ph.D. in English from SUNY Stony Brook University. She is an Essayist and a Poet. She resides in Brooklyn, NY.