Refugees of Reason

Tuxford School Yard

I remember Tuxford school yard;
The girls played over near the building
And the boys played further out.
Ball diamond backstops and
Chain-linked fence framed
The large and dusty expanse of field.
At recess we flowed out the doors
As water rushing through a narrows,
A single soccer ball among us —
A hat, a toque, a mitt, or even a boot
As goals, and someone little
Between them. A single ball,
A cloud of dust, all stabbing,
Kicking at the ball, 'til someone
Picked it up and ran ... and
Now it was a game of rugby;
We tackled and we piled on —
If at the bottom, I remember well,
The darkness descended,
The heaviness of bodies
Made breathing difficult, but
As light and oxygen returned
We'd be laughing so hard
Our sides were hurtin' ... 'till
Someone was off again with the ball,
Out on the dusty expanse of ground
We knew as Tuxford school yard.

~gtk