Electra's Playground

Lilacs hang by the swing set
Brushing the iron curtain chain mail
Of the side garden

It partitions memories
The lily pad pool is taken over by tadpoles
Un-American Americana, the new inhabitants of Atlantis

The mousy-haired beloved kicks her bare feet against the sand
And coos, "Jesus loves me, this I know,"
For her daddy told her so
And that is all that matters

At six o'clock, Mommy sets the meal
In tune with the dinnertime radio countdown
Her flat form casts no shadow

The little girl waits behind the curtains for Father
Black coat, black tie, white shirt like a domino
She flies up to him like Peter Pan

Androgynous
She's the nymphet sprite of Papa Bear
And she waits for him to call her kitten, kiss her first