For Dougie
Mischievous as a sprite dancing on air,
Swinging on a tire with never a care,
He threw back his head and laughed at the leaves.
Then, jumped off the swing and ran from the tree
Through the rosemary, thyme and wild flowers
To a fantastical tangle tower,
Where he climbed up the bars like a monkey.
And turned upside down to hang by his knees
Then flipped ‘round a bar to land on the ground,
Like a gymnast performing a dismount.
Music cavorted in all of his soul.
He played classical piano and oboe.
He would dance to tunes that sang in his head,
And twirl like a danseur in a ballet.
Tall and skinny with white skin and freckles
His red brown hair was always disheveled,
He wore cut-offs and sandals and t-shirts
Days when we played were mostly idyllic
We would always stop playing at sundown
Then, wake up to chirping birds and the dawn.
What a blessing it was to be his friend,
Standing beside him as first lieutenant,
Sharing the innocent dreams of a child,
That we made real in his house and outside.
When their dog had puppies, we saw it all.
When their cat had kittens, we watched them grow.
There was always something else happening,
Like a pink rosebud slowly unfolding,
A new miracle for us to behold.
Someday we\'d have to grow up, we were told.
Friendship can be such a magical place for our children,
And for those who are young at heart with a spirit willing.