Recess Bell Revisited
by Odin Roark

Where'd it go,
that twice a day relief,
leaving behind blackboard's chalk-lines
to immerse in the blacktop chalk-lines…

That place where hopscotch,
poison line,
poison,
target ball,
quickly made chalk nubs,
made innocent everyone's joy,
made for sad classroom returns…

That ringing in our ears
announcing freedom time,
is now but a morning and afternoon
workplace coffee break,
endorsed by company policy,
sans silent bells.

So missed, they are,
those rewarding recesses of our youth,
where escape from control-seeking minds,
meant racing across freedom’s playgrounds,
making sweat that was real,
laughter that was infectious,
exhaustion no amount of
head-time on the desk
could replace.

Today…

Chalkboards out,
monitor screens in,
grownup hours made endless,
Increased stress a given,
9 to 5 at a company desk,
7 to 10 at a home-office sanctum.

Hoping for reward,
realizing perhaps...
getting maybe…
a gold pen for the faithful
a gold watch for the determined,
a golden parachute for the lucky.

And then there’s…

The unwavering few,
longing for the recess bell again,
needing life’s playground
to simply deliver a trustworthy nod,
a smile of respect,
a well-earned piece
of living’s actual bottom line…

happiness.