You Are Lake Erie
You spend your whole life wishing
On paper cranes and airplanes,
Until the day you find yourself
Standing on the canyon’s edge
In a magical world
Where you can jump and not fall,
Dive and not drown.

You can fly when you are not weighted
Down by ten thousand impossible
You are the sunlight filtered through
A gossamer spring green leaf.
You are the lake water, crashing and dancing,
The coolest peaceful blue the world ever knew.
You’re the cans of strawberry soda
Clinking in the ice box on the back porch,
The chilling, exhilarating, new nostalgia.

It’s the middle of August.
You’re driving through the park in the rain.
The most perfect song is on the radio.
For four minutes and thirty seven seconds,
Everything is perfect.
You jump from the canyon.
You’re flying free.
You fall into the lake.
You’ve never felt so alive.

Floating in the tendrils
Of every lost dream
You think you have just found
What you’ve been missing.

So with songbird music
Ringing in your ears
And a twinkle in your eye,
You stroll barefoot
Through the days
You will never forget.