Ash in the Playground

Ash in the Playground

Ash in the playground
dust on the seat
swings moving
in the heat

Built for laughter
holding signs
warning of the danger lines

Swings hang crooked
over clover beds
chains twisted
over heads

Slides faded
tired pink
plastic warped
before you blink

Paint peeling from the gym
stickers flapping on the rim
stray cats walking in the sand
owners of the broken land

Fence went up
to block the street
trucks rolled in
to beat the heat

Parents murmured at the store
hand on mouth
and looking sore

Playground closed
with rusty locks
tape across the sandbox box
kids watching through the link
puddles turning black as ink

Sirens stopped a month ago
headlines found a different flow
silence heavy like a wool
smothering the push and pull

Flowers pushed into the fence
marking changes
dark and dense

She didn’t know the kids before
just the story
and the score

Teachers talking safety plans
drills that no one understands
truck backfires on the road
class jumps
at the heavy load

Adults signing paper sheets
nods from experts in the seats
kids are counting inhaler puffs
mapping routes
when breathing roughs

Photo shows up on the screen
kids in air
a frozen scene

Comments listing who was there
memories of the open air

Parents scroll and look away
grief for strangers in the day
lives that didn’t have a choice
silenced by the heavy voice

Swings are moving
in the breeze
shadows rocking
in the trees

Ash is drifting
slow and gray
over joy
that went away