Childhood Cues

Around in circles the pinwheel spins
Simple things remind me of my childhood again
Like the book laid to gather dust on the shelf
Or the playhouse of which the ladder broke on itself
The bike left alone, outside in the cold
Or the basketball under the porch left to grow old
Simple things I see all the time but fail to notice
Simple things that while young, get old regardless

Up and down the branches sway
Simple things that we never realized would go away
Like the barbies I played with for years on years
Or the small little plushie that held all my tears
The sparkly lights I had wrapped around my room
Or the flowers I planted and waited long for them to bloom
Simple things that mean oh so much
The simplest thing can also be in form of touch

Carefully gentle hands twist and braid my hair
Simple things we thought would always be there
Like the rush of your dad walking in through the door
Or the sigh your mom made when glitter fell on the floor
The sticky-note chain I stored on my desk
Or the kids show I watched and wondered what would come next
Simple things we never quite understand
These oh so simple things make me wish to have a plan

The birds chirp as they fly far, far away
Simple things I wish would’ve stayed
Like riding through the long, tall field
Or staying up in game battling with a shield
The heartfelt words that slip from my tongue
Or the sleepover I rated one-hundred and one
Simple things never leave, they just change
Do you ever find yourself wishing they stayed
the same?