playing games
it is hard to distinguish
the thick line
between love & need
when you outline feeling in squares
& skip over them all
so fast, so lightly
child hopscotching
and counting numbers
to some finish
only you
& that tossed pebble know
moving through patterns
you drew
& have worked so well
you no longer watch your steps
surprised somehow
when you trip
that your falling
blurs
those colored chalk borders
Susan Daniels Poetry 
I loved this, bought back so many childhood memories of hours spent playing hopscotch. A lovely metaphor for trying to paper over the cracks of life and thinking that it fixes everything when, as in your poem, the fall smudges all the edges and creates a blur.
Lovely piece.
Thanks so much–yes–superficiality and overconfidence do definitely put us in messes, don’t they?
even though this can be felt light hearted it can definitely be felt as to the adult world too. nicely done susan:))
Thanks, Don. Yes, there is an adult message wrapped up in this child’s game 🙂
As early as childhood we learn to accept structures in our lives, but they don’t protect against everything. Great mind teasing poem.
Thank you. Structures as flimsy as these do not protect against anything, and are illusory, IMO. Glad you liked 🙂
Ah the games we adults play, and we’re silly enough to believe that we won’t be caught..
Yes. And we are always caught.
Amen!
🙂
Adult mind games!
They sicken me! So well planned, as if he or she is dealing with an absolute idiot!
And they trip. Get caught. And they deny deny deny…..
Thanks you my shrink!
So very enlightening
yes, they do get caught in their games.
Hey–WordPress is cheaper than a visit to the doc 🙂
I love the image of a chalked sidewalk and one making use of it. 🙂
🙂 thanks, Nelle. Now I want to go draw squares on blacktop….
Nice imagery, I get the message. Well said.
Thanks, Celestine 🙂
Never liked this much as a child, might be why I don’t like games as an adult. Or, it’s why I was an easy mark for adult games…never learned to hop the scotch. Worth a thought or two for sure.
know what you mean–was never very good at game-playing of any wort.
Excellent ! ALWAYS wonderful ~Deb