A silver van pulls up the desert drivewayFrom sliding doorsSpill three cousinsHolding teddy bears and swordsLonely fields are filled once moreScreams and hollers absorb the sun-baked summer airWe stumble together, reminding each other of our gamePlayed only near the overgrown grassAnd where Christmas trees grow during summerMONSTER TAG.

Skip through the bushesOr near the woodsAnd find a place where none can seeIf taggedYou’re it!The new monster, searching for its prey

Adults cry, “Be careful,” as we prance offTheir words are meaningless in our earsDrifting up with the subtle breezeWe disperseEach racing around the house’s cornerLooming fingers creep up the gray wallsPeering through the bushes,I glance across the fields of green

The monster’s footsteps slowA lion before the deathly pounceGrass bowing beneath its feetPaw by paw, step by stepNervous excitement builds up inside meWhere to run?Where to hide?The bush embracing me with its pricklyYet protective branchesI duck out from under my shieldThe chase begins.