Me, Part Two: Melville Street

memories
pinned loosely to
a place
and therefore to
a time
nestled briefly between
first sentience and the meddling of adults
 
Random still frames:
feral preschoolers
grass stains, sidewalk scrapes
raw hotdog snack on the tire swing
wood bugs under rocks
the soft lap of Mrs. Cookie
Joey on his trike mostly naked
 
Best friend Rowan, my hero
wilder than her fiery hair
she spat at my mother!
She confided that she was a boy
and I nodded
yeah, of course
 
And that other boy
with the French name –
Did he actually kiss me?
All I remember is
my tiny heart
exploding with
unaccustomed
tenderness
 
 
.