the playground down the street

the playground down the street serves several purposes. primarily it is the elementary school childrens' but in the evening hours it is mine. i recently learned it houses the neighborhood mailboxes. there is an excellent frisbee throwing field, multiple four square courts, and an excellent pretend race track. there is also a small hill where i dare raphael to race me, hurricane past him, and then fall off my bike and hit my head, spinning, to the ground. the swings happen to be the just-so place when i am in need of a refuge from the panic of moving, a new relationship, foreign accents, and unfamiliar roads. it also happens to be the appropriate place for shouting up at God because the only person you know in canada is mad at you and you are mad at him and so you feel utterly alone. swinging, yelling you irrationally believe your threatening words will encourage the miraculous voice to flood your ears and pronounce great truths, cradling your heartache and revealing perfection. this hasn't happened yet, but i have high hopes for this particular elementary school playground.