1974
Six thirteen year olds
held hands
boy girl boy
and waded barefoot
through ankle deep water
hunched over
through the sewer pipe
behind the abandoned house everyone thought was haunted
walking slowly
enjoying the touch
of electricity
in close proximity
and anticipation
of reaching the clearing
underneath the giant buckeye tree
Several feet up
bright yellow dandelion heads
began to fall
from the pinhole of light
in the center of the manhole cover
tossed in by Ann
just 6 years old
while singing “Ring Around the Rosy”
Waiting quietly
for song’s end
without a word
said between us
We began as a low rumble
building to a loud moan
and listened as she ran
screaming
back to her house
as we ran
laughing
splashing loudly through the concrete cavern
back to the field
that held cows
behind an electric fence
as the wind
carried our laughter
across every summer
thereafter