Children on a Rope

I see children on a rope
Small hands grasping the thick rope
Small feet looping to keep up with their teacher
Small mouths chattering away about toys and family and friends

A child falls down on the side walk, crying out in pain
Another child helps him up with a friendly hand
A teacher comes to see the child is not harmed
The child is fine, and the children continue on their way

Down the street they turn a corner, stopping for cars
The teacher calls a head count and the children begin to list their numbers
One, two, three, four, five, six, six!
The teacher turns to a dark haired child with brown eyes and white skin
No Aaron, you are seven
The child looks about, frightened and unsure, he begins to cry
The light changes and the children begin on their way again
The child stops crying and instead pouts

The Children on a rope come to a stop in a park
The teacher tells them to not go far
The children leap, jump, skip, and play
The children are happy and loud basking in the sun
I travel back down the street leaving the children to play
I can not play with them, I am not a child and I must leave them to their lives
I continue my walk, my hand grasping an invisible rope