Fairview

As a small girl, living next to this park, I never knew it's name.
It was home to a few empty bottles,
splintered wooden benches & a vagrant sleeping off a bender.
My friend & I would be play spys, hiding behind the tall yews, watching an old man snore.

The large sentinel oaks are gone now. Their roots covered by asphalt
& the tables & benches were removed by the city
to prevent people from lingering,
or so I am told.

What is a park if you cannot linger?

Tonight we happened upon this space on our evening walk,
& to our surprise
It was filled with dogs & kids
People standing about
talking with one another.

I was greeted
& my children asked to play.

& it felt so odd,
after all these years

this vagabond little park,
has at long last found it's community.