Stoop Days

Chalk bits and the ground
for games of hop scotch,
telephone wires tied
to the stoop's railing for
double dutch, we played
freeze tag, chased one another
in the same circle over
and over. Talked about topics so
senseless now but
everything meaningful, entertaining
at the time. On and on
until the street lights beamed
in orange. Into the hallway,
to the floor where
most of us lived until our
real curfew, thought to be
based solely on our age
and the time, no clue
about activities done
soon as day became black.
We made the most of a
minimized fun while the
people participating
were just out there,
trying to live.