NATHAN PARKER
PLAYGROUND FOR A COMING COLD PERIOD
The swings are suede,
and quiet as olive oil.
The rocking ducks
are solid gold.
The merry-go-round
is Mesopotamian, and sonic-booms
the champagne glasses in twilight.
The fake red forklifts
in the stadium of sand
were once real red forklifts.
Should your hands
get sweaty on the monkey bars
you land in candy.
For shade patches
it's just down the hill
to the olive grove.
For company
there are soft-horn sheep
who have never been shorn.
They stink,
but they are polite,
and they love people.