Endgame

by Sarah Alspach

I know of a place where it is always summer

and lemonade brings back the fond memories.

I know of a place where the children used to play on the tire swing,

the old smell of melting rubber in the sun

the laughter of the children echoing in the distance.

I know of a place where happiness changed into strife

the young saw a whole new world

and they could not understand how it worked,

a watch forever broken.

the old saw it and could only think of one thing...

Segregation

I know of a place where a man defied what everyone believed in

changing the perspective of what everyone thought of him

never being beaten down by a single insult

never letting anything get to him as he would rise up above the rest

then crumble as others toppled over him

I know of a place where mockingbirds sing

to its full content,

picking a new tune here

changing it there

its comforting song filling the ponderous void

with its sweet music helping others get through their troubles.

I know of a place where the children laugh and play

where not one snowflake has fallen

I know of a place where the trees are always green

and the sky always blue

I know that if anyone killed a mockingbird,

that happy place would die.