the petersens
by Gracie Wilson
i spent the summers of my childhood
next door at the petersen’s
the blue house with three little boys
and happily married parents
next door at the petersen’s
the blue house with three little boys
and happily married parents
i remember
hours long nerf gun battles
and hot wheel races
on bright orange plastic tracks
that seemed to go on for miles
jumping on the trampoline forever,
or until someone got hurt
(usually me)
riding bikes, playing basketball
our scraped knees were a badge of honor
we’d have “snowball fights”
with dozens of green tennis balls
in the middle of july
the california sun could never stop us
we’re adults now,
become aware of our differences
they no longer live next door
but some things don’t change
they’re still loyal mormons
and i haven’t “found god”
i’ve been called a dyke
in the name of christ
but i can never grow bitter
the petersens taught me
“love thy neighbor”
– the petersens
Gracie Wilson is a 22 year old writer from Brea, Orange County. Through her poetry, she uses simple language to convey complex emotions and uses personal stories to connect with others. She can be found on Instagram @graciejean.writes
