I didn't cry

The first time I left the arms

Of what I thought was my entire life

To land, softly

On the clouds of a playground.

A fresh start

A new sprout, growing out

Of the dirt

Into a new home

A garden of little trees, flowers and grass

Waving gently in the breeze

Basking in the sun

On a warm day.

In sandboxes we make smiles out of frowns

Clap our hands, sing along

And play for hours

Talk like chickens and ducks

It didn't matter, because

We understood each other.

There's moments of chaos

Loud laughter

And scuffles and tumbles

Tumbling down, down the hill

To the bottom, where we spring up like flowers after rain.

Soon, it grows cold

Flakes drift down from above

A light reminder

A heavy colour (or the absence of)

That tells us we can't stay here forever.

Though there's hope in routine

The certainty that tomorrow, the sun will rise

And pull behind another blue sky

I promise

To brave the night

And return the next day

To the place where I can shine, and confide

In others not like me

Because school is where the wind is there

To lift up my petals

Show me the way

And tell me

Everything is going to be okay.

-the kindergartner