Inside My Great Walls

Inside My Great Walls

By Ann Gordon

I can’t go outside today. We’re still quarantined(ˈkwôrənˌtēn)…..

It’s about protection from germs(jərm) and keeping our hands cleaned!
No playing with sticks or collecting rocks.
Can’t wade(wād) in the creek(krik,krēk), or build bridges or docks.

I wanna run and play through the whole neighborhood.
Ride(rīd) my scooter(ˈsko͞odər) with friends and build forts in the wood.
If I COULD go outside there’d be SO much I’d do.
At the end of the day, I’d STILL not be through!

I know I’d go first to my secret(ˈsēkrit) bog,
Finding frogs(fräg,frôg) and salamandars(ˈsaləˌmandər) under some logs.
But I can’t. I can’t go outside…
…..this day or the next.
And honestly I’m feeling bored(bôrd) and perplexed(pərˈplekst).

We may have to stay in even longer somehow.
Not sure how long, but longer than NOW!
So what can I do? Inside these rooms?
I pity(ˈpidē) the caterpillars(ˈkadə(r)ˌpilər) inside cocoons(kəˈko͞on).

I would play with my brother but he speaks gobbledygook(-ˌgo͞ok,ˈgäbəldēˌgo͝ok)!
I’ve done all the puzzles(ˈpəzəl), read every book.
Nothing’s new…my toys are rundown.
I’ve played with them right-side and upside down.

I’m stuck with myself, not with friends two or three.
There’s nothing exciting. What can I do with just me?
Bless(bles) my parents! They’ve tried in so many ways.
Even so, I’m expecting some boring days.

I’ll just go clean my room 😔
…
But wait!….what’s that creeping(krēp) across my floor?
A shadow is sliding under my door?

It’s inching towards me! It’s beginning to grow.
Fear trembles(ˈtrembəl) inside me…THIS much I know!
It’s opening its enormous(iˈnôrməs) gigantic(jīˈɡan(t)ik) jaws(jô)!
And grabbing(grab) the floor with its paleolithic(ˌpālēəˈliTHik) claws(klô).

I clinch(klinCH) my teeth and raise(rāz) my fists(fist).
How else do I deal with a fright(frīt) such as this?
Those teeth look so scary(ˈske(ə)rē)! I brace(brās) for the worst
I should not have complained. Now I’m accursed(əˈkərst, əˈkərsəd).
.…
Then something happens and I shift to delight.

Bright(brīt) colors start spilling over his teeth.
They spread all over the floor underneath(ˌəndərˈnēTH).
Splashing(splaSH) and splattering(ˈspladər) on each thing they touch
Makes my room a rainbow! I love it SO much!

What IS this creature that has come to visit?
Is it made of shadows and light? What IS it?
It spills(spil) beautiful colors that could be a mess(mes)!
I’ll wipe it all clean before it’s seen…UNLESS…

First, I think I’ll spend JUST a second to explore
This awesome(ˈôsəm) paint(pānt) all over the floor!
My day inside has finally begun.
And I have a feeling it’ll be LOTS of fun!

So what makes today so different and strange?
I’m still stuck inside. There’s been no change.
That’s really no dragon that’s entered my door.
It’s a picture that came to my head from the floor.

But something has shifted inside of my head.
Adventures are filling it so full instead.
I grab my paintbrush(ˈpāntˌbrəSH) and out of it grows
Greens(grēn), into grays(grā), into blues…A CREEK! It flows!

My mom will be furious(ˈfyo͝orēəs) about colors all spilled.
Here she comes! OH! NO! But instead she is THRILLED(THril)!?
Hmm…whatever is changing me, she’s also got!
Our same old home that was boring IS NOT!

No matter what’s happening inside of my mind.
Painting creeks on the floor?!! Mom would not be inclined(inˈklīn).
We’ve been in our house so long, day and night.
That our brains have begun to make our own delight!

My mom paints salamanders, toads and frogs.
My dad paints fallen(ˈfôlən) trees and murky(ˈmərkē) old bogs(bäg,bôg)
We flip all the chairs to make a bridge to cross.
If Mossy(ˈmôsē) were here, she’d be painting the moss(môs)!

My brother sits happily in our colorful creek!
Just like fishes and trolls(trōl) who speak Gobbledygeek!
None of us notice the time on the clock.
We’re enjoying the view from our bridge and our dock!

The day that I thought would be the dullest(dəl) of all
Has been an adventure beyond any Great Wall!
If we can keep making our minds turnaround,
I think we will love being homebound!!!