I had so much energy














and the sky soared around me
and the moon sliced smiles across his face
and I could run
my arms out like an airplane
and the night was soft and exciting
for it was vacation
and the dead school our playground
and we could sing and think
even simultaneously
in our summer clothes,
our summer life
pariahs no longer
we joined the breeze
swimming over you
kicking dirt in the face of education
our minds drinking dreams,
loosened from teacher’s clamps
happy dust we were –
we held our hands and skipped
– we skipped! –
a brilliant idea
engulfing us like the sea
so, impulsive,
(only in the summer)
we scrambled up to the school roof
and, dancing on our prison,
we forced that hatch open
and climbed down
back into the mire.

It was eerie –
only us in the school
and we sprinted around
and screamed;
we did all those forbidden evils,
kicked defenseless lockers,
broke the rules with impunity,
and the night, interested,
followed us down the hall
as we mocked the ugly interior;
the night watched us and laughed with us,
and later, back outside,
freedom in hand
escaped forever,
(at least the summer);
we ran to my house
and caught those fireflies
looked at them
and fed them into the open world
which, unappreciative,
went to work as usual,
neglecting nature’s music
and the celebration
of freedom from school.