the fire inside: do you remember it well?

stv made a post about birthday parties and being a kid
and it made me think that i don't remember any of mine
had
or attended
there's something there vaguely -- maybe grade 3 or 4
some sleep-over nonsense
i remember thinking it was ridiculous the way young girls behaved
and how loud they all were
i remember feeling relieved to be home, where i talked to my mom
for a very long time about the color the trees were turning on the corner
down the street from our house
she let me borrow our camera, later
gave me permission to walk the half block alone
there's still an album with a few pages
scattered pictures of that tree
the faded square images--caught in my mind--still feel like calmness and solitude
like a cool strong hand on that empty space
just at the base of the neck