Lordess of the Porch

Watching her jump off the porch
into the great green unknown
takes me back to when I used to do the same.

The porch and I were younger then.
Dad poured the cement,
not letting me put my hand prints
in the steps.
I tried to add some of myself to my porch
when his back was turned away.
He saw what I did and smoothed it out;
mad as hell, he chased me away.

The porch and I have both grown old,
the top step crumbled away.
Now there's a new kid on the porch.
I heard my granddaughter say,
"You need permission from me
to sit down here.
I am the lordess of this porch!"