Putting Your Play Shoes On

You get up in the morning
and you pull on your shorts
and the hair on your legs is yellow
and shines in the sun
and the birds are shouting their lungs out
and you cram down your cornflakes
and you run across the street
and you are out of breath
and you knock on the door
and the mother comes and stands behind the screen
and you ask her if your friend can come out
and he’s already there in the hallway waiting for you
and he has his play shoes on
and he comes crashing through the screen door
and you hear it slam and bang
and the two of you leap off the porch
and fly back across the street behind the houses
to the vacant lot where your fort is
and you both get sweaty
and your hands get dirty
and you smell like playing outside smells
and your mothers call you in for lunch
and you both know
you’ll be back
to play again
and your friend looks at you
and his eyes are blue
and his mouth is open
and for the rest of your life
you remember
that’s what it feels like
to fall in love.