There’s no better place for a kid than outdoors

by Matt Reese, published in Ohio Country Journal

Rise with the sunshine ready to play,
Then collapse into bed at the end of the day.
Scrapes and bruises, skinned up knees,
Sword fighting with sticks and climbing up trees,
Ride on a horse, spray with the hose,
Giggle at dandelion fuzz up your nose.
Roll pant legs up and through cool puddles wade,
Shut your eyes for a nap in an old oak tree’s shade.
Sandbox castles, kitten scratches,
A few bug bites, poison ivy patches —
So much to see and so much to learn.
Don’t touch that fence and watch the sunburn.
Berry stained fingers and thorn-pricked arms,
Manure on boots, dirt from the barn,
Long hot days of sun, sweat and laughs,
Lead your best lamb, groom your best calf.
Spit watermelon seeds out in the grass,
Enjoy twilight ice cream as lightning bugs flash,
Catch a frog and a fish on a swim in the creek,
Don’t know, and don’t care ‘bout what day of the week.
Why stay inside when it can be so much fun,
To spend summer days ‘neath the clouds and the sun?
Children are a gift and I’m grateful each day,
That I can watch mine grow up this way.
There is a lifetime ahead for office space and AC,
Gadgets, and dress clothes and life’s finery.
So let ‘em get dirty and have ‘em explore,
‘Cause there’s no better place for a kid than outdoors.
What joy to share in the life of a child spent outdoors.