(Photo by Mary Krawczyk)

Mary Krawczyk, a writer and educator, writes about the Riverwest neighborhood, where she has lived for more than 20 years.

on one side of the fence
there is a stone bench
and community gardens
a pile of mulch
being surmounted
by small children
who are white.
they wear colorful rain boots
and lands end jackets.
they take nature walks
with their caregivers
and sing songs
about the seasons.
(or so i imagine)

on the other side
is a basketball court
the wind has blown
dead leaves & wrappers
along the edges.
there is a playground
and a tot lot too.
the kids who play here
are mostly brown and black
and not much older.
they shoot hoops,
chase each other,
race and skip rope,
sometimes fight a lot
using words incompatible
with their young selves.

a small girl follows me
around, huddles up
and takes my hand in hers.
or a small boy asks me
to tie his shoes and
zip his jacket.

sometimes children
from both sides
talk to each other
across the fence.
i like that.
they seem
not so separate
then.