On the day that summer first broke through the trees
We constructed memories and washed them with water from the lake so we could take them with us when it was time to return to a life that constantly felt forced and foreign
We collected pieces of our middle years and planted them in the earth and left them alone to grow in the elements like our fathers before us
And these youthful spirits would shine until we drifted into our own definition of old age
With little concern for direction, we swam out to sea to rest quietly in a place to which we will never return even if we paddle for seven lifetimes
In a flash of humanity, we held the door for strangers that grew to love us as family
Sleep where you land in the small hours and dream if only to dream
For when summer passes into fall through the trees in the morning these days will remain on a pedestal if only in your mind.