Out on a Limb
by Dave Oliphant
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though Annabella’s short at
four years old it’s
easy enough for her
to climb the live
oak’s limbs with its
crotch formed by a
low perpendicular pair one
grown horizontal in this
playground park out on
which she stretches now
turning about with her
fingers gripping the bark
with feet & bottom
caterpillaring above the imagined
sea as Isabella yells “Don’t
fall or sharks will
eat you alive” then
pulls herself up by
a vertical branch with
Issa directing her to
jump down onto the
grass beyond not the
shaded patch of earth
changed for the game
to water’s dangerous depth
& so she does
then waits her turn
to climb again after
Issa takes her own
when Anna ventures out
farther than before as
her weight lowers the
limb though not in
reach of snapping teeth
but of a sudden
two swashbuckling brats hack
the tree till one
sword nicks her bare
little leg & makes
her cry yet luckily
saved by Issa who
helping her down keeps
her head from the
threatening waves all the
while telling them off
“You mean & nasty
boys you hurt my
sister Go away” shouts
“You do not even
know how to play”
may they live to
regret they bullied her
dream forever of being
knighted on bended knees
by this queen of
all their lonely nights
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