Unwind

Green grass, green ground, green poles, green sky, green, was all it bellowed. Its ever stretching carpet of green grass, reflecting its vivacity onto the ground, or its ever soaring green pine trees, gazing down onto it, the children site of the San Lorenzo Park possessed a risky and adventurous forest open to be stomped, trampled, crushed, or scampered upon, by all the little feet and all the big feet. Even if it held only a dry tree at its center, it is easy to imagine those pointy branches blooming with pink or white flowers in spring, to be a colorful clutter in fall with leaves of red, yellow, and green. The park stretches as wide as a small lake stretches, and sinks as deep as a small lake sinks. The entire space, including the toddler’s segment, carries sunken anchors of metal, twisted and mangled to be shaped as posts: these sturdy metal poles of every earth’s tones are then planted, everywhere. Some of these brown metal poles are used to connect the brown metal chains to what seems to be the brown wheel of a truck- a tire swing. Further on, the same pattern of a tangled metal pole, either being green or brown, attaches to the plastic made seat of the swings’, or joins the plastic stacked mountain of the slides’.

Unable to veil the aging and fainting rims of the wood, “Open till sunrise to sunset” is formally written in white, upon a wooden post that is attached to a wooden leg. As I walked across, mesmerized by the green algae already sprouting faster than the lengthy grass, that same aging and fainting wood met me. Except for its much expanded size and four new feet and faded grey scratches and some metal screws at its joints, it looked the same as its one legged brother. The ground underneath it corresponded with the colors of the playground: it was greenly decorated by the algae, and auburnly adorned by the dry mud. Considering the divisions of the play stations, which held the tire swing, ordinary swings, and compelling slides, these twisty road crosses were still able to broaden their algae development, and mud compaction. At least, they would have been able to if the coastal regions of the beloved play stations had allowed them. Perhaps resembling the ever stretching white clear sands of Santa Cruz beaches, I was astonished to acknowledge the sand filled segments allowed me to walk three steps before reaching dry land. It was also a surprise to stroll on a sandy coast that surrounds a green and black sea of foam: foam made of thick fabric, stuffed with sponges and springs.

The air smelt of dust. A dust constantly rising from the scuttling feet of children, a dust that proudly is marking the area as a sand-filled park, a dust successfully allowing the fresh air to still be smelt. Even with that tint of sandy air, the park held a gratifying clean air. This fresh environment, mixed with the on and off blinks of the sun’s shadow, added to the distant cries of seagulls, resembled the lazy fluttering wings of the flies- it provided an escape from the outside. Although the whoosh noise of speeding cars could not be erased completely, it could be ignored. I was quite serene. In the distance I spot approaching figures of two adults, and two children, a boy and a girl. From the traces of scooter tracks, varieties of patterns from rears of shoes’ all over the sand sparkled ground, it would be no surprise for this quietness to end. The little boy had a little sister, both of them having neatly tied shoes, and warm happy faces. The father- lengthy dark hair and blue jeans, comfy grey sneakers and loose black T-shirt, darkly tone and medium height- seems relaxed, much as a free spirit. His wife wears dark yoga pants, dark zipper jacket, all tightly held as her dark pulled back hair: she reminded me of my grade school principal. The little boy dashes forward as soon as he spots the empty slides. The father, with that same expression, pounces on the tire swing, roaring “dale mijo”. I watch astounded as father and son try to balance on the tire swing, laughing wildly, as the pig tailed little girl hides from her mother, also laughing wildly. I was pleased, I was lulled, I was composed.

The twisted mangled metals had nature’s tones splattered onto them, but the energetic care free children had adventure’s appeal carved into them. They create a tranquil place ignoring chaotic ones. The colorful wall with a spherical engrave resembles the wooden table with poised four feet. They create balanced completeness empting distorted partialness. The plastic made swings or slides are replica to the wooden makeup of forests or jungles. They create a test of survival and a risk for danger. The surrounding trees define originality like the foot imprint holders speak creativity. They create a care free world to themselves and extend a care free world to others.

Feben M.