My Backyard

my backyard
stretched large
front to back

a carpet of green
the stage
of my imagination

I was Jane
to Tarzan
swung on the rope swing
that hung from the maple tree
topless
in my underwear
I was Queen
of the jungle

my Barbie dolls
took epic journeys
across the vast lush prairies
on horseback
meeting danger
emerging heroines

the old pine tree
sheltered a bed
of needles
where I built roads
for the Country Camper
and convertible

we set up a tent
and put on plays
my brothers and parents
the audience
forking over bags of pennies
for entertainment

as we got older
we transformed the old tool shed
into a clubhouse
wallpapered with posters
carpeted with samples
from downtown

sanctuary
in the city
distant from the
busy highway
that ran in front of the house

a place to read 
make up stories
of danger and triumph
a little romance

a place to pretend
and dream

a place of our own
in my backyard

then there was
The Day
they broke in
turned everything upside down
spray-painted
destroyed
desecrated

my first encounter
with horror
random acts
of pain

was in my backyard

also
when
I started
to grow up