She climbs up into a tree.
Under the sun she watches as life goes on without her.
The branches scratch against the soles of her bare feet.
She watches as her father caries her and sets her into a swing.
As he catches her at the end of the slide
and as they walk his hand grasped around her small fingers.
She is laughing joyfully.
She is happy
She now longs to laugh like that. To laugh freely with no care in the world.
These are all her memories.
Memories that will always be there for a rainy day.
Her father will never be there again.
The last time she saw him he was off fighting for our country.
The last time she saw him he was in a camouflage uniform.