GAMES OF HOPSCOTCH
In the days of innocence and Eisenhower,
most girls would play their games of hopscotch.
Jay-walking to a vacant lot across the street,
we’d kick away debris and bits of broken glass,
scratch out our game-boards
on rough cement with pieces
of chalk snitched from school.
Like kangaroos, we’d hop, hop, hop, jump, hop
turn around, till sweat dripped down our rosy cheeks,
and our lips craved ice-cold cherry Cokes, grape
popsicles from Sweeny’s drugstore down the block.
We’d skip off laughing, hand
in hand, stepping over wide
cracks, sparing our mothers’ backs,
Carefree, happy, high on life.
© 2020 Dianne Moritz. All rights reserved.
Such a wonderful poem, Dianne! I also loved hopscotch. It was a favorite thing to play on the driveway—with traditional hopscotch boards as well as all sorts of funky different boards with made-up rules from our imaginations. Such fun we had, as you said, "carefree, happy, high on life."
ReplyDeleteThis is special, Dianne. My granddaughters still play, but don't know about those cherry cokes!
ReplyDeleteHopscotch was a daily occurrence on our block growing up so this poem resonates with me, Dianne. I'm happy to report that the kids in Switzerland still play it. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember Hopscotch and cherry Cokes. Your poem takes me back.
ReplyDeleteDelightful. This wasn't my life, but while reading this poem, I felt like it was. So good.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this, Diane. It's one I'll want to reread. I remember playing hopscotch (in the days of Carter). You made me want a grape popsicle :-)
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