hourglass

 that first weekend in college
I ran in the woods
in nothing but a suede coat
fringed in fur
and my panties

barefoot and
laughing as the branches 
scratched my legs
a frat boy followed
beer can in hand

he was safe in that
foolish way he giggled
every time he took a drink
a leprechaun emerged

we ran through the woods
in this dead end freedom
of adulthood
and childhood
so blurred
we couldn't comprehend

later
with grass in our hair
we would fall asleep
on the floor of his dorm room
wake up the next morning
picking twigs out of our ears

amidst the empty beer cans
we would realize
how different we were
my blond hair 
and fur coat 
would be a story he could tell

but his football jersey
and lite beer can
is something I would hide
all his trophies seemed to point at me
as I left the room
walking over pizza boxes and sleeping bodies

we couldn't find my pants
and he laughed in a jealous way
as I left him there
with bare legs
wearing my fur like a fox

in my youth I let them
​chase me in the woods
on dark nights
with no fear
because I was fast
and fun
the trees seemed to carry me
the wind picked me up when I stumbled

where has the time gone?
that girl so sure she could out run anyone
is now a woman
that wants to sit and think
write about when the world
was whirling past

hourglass
I won't tip you yet
let me watch each 
grain of sand
let me remember 
when I saw you
when I first turned you over
hoping for time to pass