our neighborhood was still being constructed

we built one of the first houses on our street

and
looked at stars,

skipped stones on the lake,

ate banana and peanut butter sandwiches,

rode bikes around the neighborhood
and over the "dirt hills,"

had boxing matches with pillows on the bed,

played in the flooded ditches
in front of the house using
makeshift boats with Barbies in them

sledded down the "big hill" on
the other side of the neighborhood
and found snow day friends
(the ones that went to private schools)

ran the hose over the swingset to
wash our hair outside

took the dinghy to the baseball field
when it flooded
"Look! A floating base!"

played house in the empty frames
still
being
constructed

lost the house to bankruptcy
screamed at each other
and heard later there are houses built
all around ours
even where we once camped in the thick woods

I haven't played house in years