another visit

The sky is a soft grey
Mist brushes against my face.
I climb the two steps onto the front porch
And pull the door open,
Saving some kid from being caught in its path

Inside it’s warm
The air is thick with my own memories
Yet fresh and clean with the creation of new ones.
In front of me, kids shove boots onto each other’s feet,
Swing bags onto their backs.
I walk past and smile to myself at the cheerful Friday chaos

Once beyond the pack of Middle Schoolers,
I take a deep breath of calm hallway air
Walk with a confident bounce in my step
Stop for a moment just before the back door.
Here, in this place,
I am completely surrounded by innocence.
Safety.
This hallway is the most beautiful place on the earth.
The cool air coming from the front door and the heated air from inside the building
Swirl together the way they always did in winter…

And in that instance
Time flows all around me
But I find myself somehow separate from it.
My memories surface all at once
But this time
I don’t cry.
Weights are lifted from my shoulders
My body becomes lighter.
I could fly.
This place feels the same as it always did.
It’s like I never left.
I could walk down the hall
Go down the stairs to my cubbie
Grumble something about a science lab and pack my bag.

But there’s something slightly different in the air.
No, not different.
New.
New memories are being made as I stand here in this beautiful hallway.

I continue walking and go out the back door.