I waded through pink and white sweet pea blossoms

And through tall wide bladed razor grass

Until I stood in the muddy water

Where the weapons of our warfare grew

I chose one for my worthy opponent

With a brown fuzzy hilt and a long green blade

And one for me, short

Very short to make things fair

My little cousin Jazra wasn’t three yet

And she swung the long cattail around the yard

She was Captain Hook

And she laughed as the reed struck my legs with a crack

Agh . . . it really did sting

I jumped the next blow

And swirled

And blocked with my little Peter Pan dagger

Then the reed swung around and slapped me in the back

Agh. . . that stings . . . she laughed

It was fun . . .

She’s grown up and has a little one 

a little one who is bigger than she was then

I’ve gone away and am a stranger now

But wisps of remember swirl around now and then

Remember sword fighting with cattails?

Captain Hook and Peter Pan?