Chidhood Landscape

When I was a young girl, there were lady bugs and butterflys.
I remember stink bugs and a huge variety of spiders and ants. 
In my back and front yard kingdoms.. I was the Queen of 
the sandpile and I held sway over my subjects.
Once I even got to meet a tarantula, it was black, hairy
and jumping all over.
My mother screamed and came running to save me.
Instead the neighbor had to save us both.
I remember the Santa Ana winds and twirling in the front yard
With hardly any people for miles.. just horses and ponies and puppies
and cats.. there was also gophers yuck!
At four I was left alone alot  and as kids do i became bored
and plotted the great escape.
I headed out from the house down the long road to the neighbors house.
It had to be a quarter to a half mile away.
I remember he was an animal trainer and had just done Born Free.
This involved lions.
At the side of the house was a huge cage.
It was ot locked. not even really latched.
I crawled in and went to sleep.
In the paws of a huge lioness her name was Elsa.
The other lion was her daughter Ilsa.
My mother realilzed I was not hiding in the closet
Came looking for me around the hood.
It was with a strong horrid hunch that she came to 
The lioness den.
There sound asleep,  safer than any baby around,
was I.
I do remember crying and screaming to stay.
I was for a two hour nap perfectly at home
with a very fierce creation of Earth
and just so safe .... 
God is good