Some distance from my girl-hood home
Where the brook babbled
And the birds sang
Where the trees towered overhead
And the moss blanketed the forest floor
Where the trees went as far as the eye could see

And the fairies danced in the filtered light of the leaves
Where I buried my treasure chest
And built my castle
Where I rode unicorns at the speed of light
And fought off purple, fire breathing dragons
Where the natural world created a cadence
Which lifted my soul, spirit, and ignited my imagination

Where once
From the twisting shadows
I witnessed the birth of a creature made entirely of dreams and shooting stars
A fawn
Where I watched him stand and wobble on stilts
And his enormous eyes open for the first time
Where he disappeared into the forest
His star, dappled coat swallowed up by the trees and flickering lights
Never to be seen again

Some years ago I returned to this magical place
Where I cried and laughed
Dreamt and thought
Where I could be myself
Where anything was possible
Where now there are no unicorns or fairies
No purple, fire breathing dragons or singing birds
No towering trees as far as the eye can see
No blanket of moss or natural cadence
No creatures made of dreams and stardust
But rather
Nothing but
Asphalt
Exhaust
Neon signs
Honking horns
And road kill
As far as the eye can see