Playing Kickball in the Living Room

Too much furniture decoratively arranged
with clear spaces to sit, a place to put a cup of tea,
arrange artwork and collections from foreign travel.

An adult room for conversation but not for children
created after the depression when Home and Gardens
influenced home design and decided what constituted
good taste for the civilized.

Homemakers imitated it

"doing it right,"

making it the mantra

for their lifestyle,

but what if you wanted life
your own way? You make the rules,
however insane, where happiness
for your children is your main desire

for them to be themselves and not aspire
to be good enough to please others

but to know they’re good enough just

as they are.

Then a game of kickball is the perfect solution
for dealing with a humid hot evening
with the sun going down.

A Nerf ball with bases assigned
more important to play than have opposing teams
and to whoop and holler until the game is done.