Childhood

When a child
strawberry-faced 
and dirty
barefoot toed
kicked past the concrete
slab out back called home
dirt dug deep
to look for treasures 
buried there
telephone lines
on the ground
from a storm
and the dirt is mud
is like
"here's mud in your eye"
of the future
children can't see
waiting up ahead
is more dirt
more buried treasure
buried too deep
for this
still strawberry-faced
now
seeds of forgiveness 
in her mouth
child in 2010
born 1959