Ball Glass Jar Families

mom was canning
glass jars of food
from dads garden
that would cool
in our dark basement
neighborhood kids
were playing
all over town
there was a key
that hung around
our necks
on a piece of string
that fastened
our roller skates
to our spaulding
saddle shoes
a white stick of chalk
and a small flat stone
made hopscotch
on the sidewalk
and marked our path
for others to find
playing arrow
you could
walk alone
at night
the ball glass jar
families were
in a row
but the lids
were not screwed
on tightly
like they are today