In a mock southern town,
candy and souvenir shops
tower above a young boy,
beneath the warm Californian sun.

In one bustling shop,
the lone boy stands
before a raccoon hat,
eyes brimming with desire.

That hat,
that furry thing with a tail,
is as new and different and exciting
as a foreign land.

The boy reaches for it,
while ignoring the overpriced sale tag,
and hands it expectantly to his mother,
who’s red lips curve into a smile, and say,
“Of course, dear.”

Minutes later, the boy finds himself
jumping over crags and boulders,
racing along a clear, shallow river,
dodging arrows shot from Indians,
and saving citizens from a gunfight brawl.

To him,
This could last forever,
but forever ended quickly
for his mother called,
and the boy found himself strapped in the car,
the hat placed firmly atop his head,
with adventure still lingering in his mind.