12
Elixir
My
dreams of youth
recall
an endless ride.
Freedom
to travel the fields
and
back roads, racing
across
shadows tossed to earth
by
pines and ancient oak.
The
sun, a steady companion,
often
present, always eager
to
return when showers end.
Wind,
both friend and foe.
Youth,
the elixir that turns
a
long stretch of summer
into
a magical adventure.
Oh, to relive the magical moments of youth. As with
fresh water, I also took my childhood freedom of choice for granted. The most
structured or confining part of my early years was the class room with its
narrow desks, closed windows, and smothering blackboard.
Otherwise, I was free to do as I pleased, spending
early evenings and week-ends involved in unorganized activities such as
baseball, archery, swinging (ah, the freedom!), biking, lawn croquet, and lazy
days of swimming at the beach down by Neshotah Park. Thinking back, oh my
goodness, such fun we had with simple games like ball-and-jacks, hopscotch, and
paddleball.
A black-and-white photograph, long stored away in
some cedar chest or attic, has always stuck in my mind. At a very young age, my
siblings and I are running through the sprinkler on the side lawn. This was at
the first house we knew as home. Later, Dad built another house, and another,
and another, until home didn’t feel so much like home. But this house of my
early days has always held a place in my heart.
The sprinkler in this remembered photograph was shaped
like a ring. It shot water high into the air, in all directions of a circle.
What fun to skip, splash, and charge through the spray on warm summer days,
knowing the sun would always shine brightly, and supper would always be ready
for us at five o’clock sharp.
