Elise Chen
Remember the little free library?
with fresh yellow paint
and a bright red roof
Remember your small hands?
covered in dirt from the park
reaching out
to open the glass door
Remember the Saggy Baggy Elephant?
whose golden spine
was plucked from the yellow shelf
like a perfectly ripe
peach
Remember the tall bushes?
that envelop the fences
lining the sidewalk you walk on
making your own adventure
Remember the fire red leaves?
the ones that crunch under your feet
as you tried to flatten them
on the sidewalk
on the way into the larger library
they surround
Remember the dark green grass?
slightly wet from morning dew
wrapping around the library
like a little forest of its own
guarding the treasure within
Remember the smooth mahogany chairs?
scattered around inside
where you could sit for hours on end
where you could meet your friends
like an office
you wanted to grow up fast
Do you see the overgrowth on the fences?
left to run wild
they have swallowed the fences whole
Do you see the old mahogany chairs?
their sharp red color
now faded from the many people
who sat to rest
Do you see the little free library?
whose yellow paint is faded
and red roof chipped
though it’s glass window still intact
and hinged door still functioning
Do you see The Magic Treehouse?
whose pages are slightly worn
from the many times you’ve read it
it now sits on the faded yellow shelf
alongside The Saggy Baggy Elephant
In the little free library