History and Hopscotch
written by: Hanna Tetens
My sandbox shimmers in the moonlight
Men float in space in my sleep
History and childhood
Twisted together
In my memory
10 boxes drawn on the sidewalk
10 seconds ready on the clock
Front lawn
Littered with bikes
We run inside
To watch on the small TV
Then it begins
TEN
NINE
One foot hop
Then another
Booming voice
Hopscotch starts
EIGHT
We watched
We waited
I stood on one foot
SEVEN
SIX
Double hop for me
One small step for man
I was 7
When John Glenn landed
On the moon
FIVE
The rocket looks like an obelisk
Doesn’t move
When fuel explodes beneath it
I am unsteady on one foot
FOUR
My father watched, apart from us
He knew what to worry about
It was his job to know
THREE
TWO
Almost there
Two feet again, I land
Ready to fly
The end is the beginning
ONE
The last number before flight
One last hop to safety
LIFTOFF
The rocket slowly
Pierces the clear blue sky
Then is gone
We cheered
Grabbed our bikes
And returned to our games
- History and Hopscotch - June 23, 2026
- Flowers in a Hurry - March 21, 2026
