Play

Play, they say
There are so many ways
Act, imitate
Bend, stretch, sway
Move and groove
Climb and rhyme
Chug and slurp
Then burp
and laugh and pass
the parcel
Create and mend
And pretend
Tell ghost stories
Build forts
Fight till the death
With imaginary swords
Or on a chess board
Draw and colour
Discover
Find treasure,
Seek pleasure
Jump and skip
Roll and bowl
Or kick the ball
Through the goal
And clap and
Celebrate

Play, they say
But I'm not sure I know how
Sure, I've played duck duck goose
But I don't know how to be loose
My jaw is tense
My eyebrows furrowed
And my heart, well,
It's trapped behind a fence

Serious is all I've ever known
I feel serious, right down to my bone
See, serious was safe amongst a sea of uncertainty
Better to stay quiet than shout with glee
Better to be stiff, to allow no space
No place where anyone could graze
The soft parts, like my heart
If you never play
Then no one can say
"Stop believing in fairies
The world doesn't work this way"
Better to stay caged
Afraid
Tucked away
Than to let joy
Come out to play