Coming of Age

Barbie dolls lay broken,
Their glazed eyes dull and dusty,
Their dresses torn and stained.

Toy cars park in ruins,
Their paint jobs scratched and dented,
Their wheels long since missing.

Forgotten teddy bears,
Their insides spilling from open seams,
Left behind in closets and drawers.

Santa Claus and his seven reindeer,
Replaced by the man with free candy,
Driving his magic white van.

The school playground is empty,
Slides pockmarked with bullet holes, 
Needles littering the sandbox.

Saturday morning cartoons,
Animated laughter barely audible,
Shattered by the gunshots down the street.

Once spending an allowance,
On candies from the dollar store,
Now bills flood countertops and rubbish bins.

The fiery sunset fading into night,
Shadows creep along the cracked pavement,
Smothering the last sounds of children’s play.