I was once Queen of the Hopscotch Trail,
in a playground kingdom
where history was written
in the wax hieroglyphs of coloring books.

My crown was made of emerald ribbons
that grew on the shores of the
Blacktop Sea.
vacations on the coast were lovely,
save for the concrete waves.

Yes, I once only dined on peanut butter.
A luxury imported
from the province
Of Café Teria
I once fell in love every day
with commoners and fools.

My court passed the Concordat of the Slide
in the year
Nineteen hundred and ninety eight,
which stipulated that every citizen
of the republic
was equal in their right to ride.

I fought in the Siege at Scrapped Knee
with only a splintered saber
and a jumping rope,
in the depths of the treacherous Jungle-Jangle
Until the enemy fell broken,
like forgotten paper dolls.

Yes, I once lived in a playground palace,
with a woodchip moat and
a swing set throne
My reign was known as the Good Old Days
and there were Oreos in every pot.

Yes, I was once the Hopscotch Queen
the “miniature monarch,”
the “smallish sovereign,
I once lead a nation
until I grew too old to rule.