last night I left the crowded, too warm realm of adults and indoors to go outside under the stars in the cold with the shouts of kids and the tumble of words that didn't make sense and it didn't matter.
I forgot it was too cold to take my heels off and run barefoot or that my pants were getting soaked by the dew or that the gravel hurt my feet when I ran. I even forgot we were playing hide and seek because it felt so right standing close to the barky surface of that tree in my granny's backyard so much older than me, breathing in the smell of it, my feet planted on its roots, listening to the quiet of the night with the sudden shouts from cousins finding brothers in the game and racing in the shadows to tag them. the stars were bright and the shadows were darker and the wind rustled through the field and it didn't feel cold anymore.
they found me last and I was glad and we went inside and I ate more cookies for thanksgiving and talked to my great grandma about books and the night grew longer and we all went home.
and just like that
it was a memory
