A silver van pulls up the desert driveway
From sliding doors
Spill three cousins
Holding teddy bears and swords
Lonely fields are filled once more
Screams and hollers absorb the sun-baked summer air
We stumble together, reminding each other of our game
Played only near the overgrown grass
And where Christmas trees grow during summer
MONSTER TAG.

Skip through the bushes
Or near the woods
And find a place where none can see
If tagged
You’re it!
The new monster, searching for its prey

Adults cry, “Be careful,” as we prance off
Their words are meaningless in our ears
Drifting up with the subtle breeze
We disperse
Each racing around the house’s corner
Looming fingers creep up the gray walls
Peering through the bushes,
I glance across the fields of green

The monster’s footsteps slow
A lion before the deathly pounce
Grass bowing beneath its feet
Paw by paw, step by step
Nervous excitement builds up inside me
Where to run?
Where to hide?
The bush embracing me with its prickly
Yet protective branches
I duck out from under my shield
The chase begins.