storybook lane

June 4th, 2024 (Amsterdam)

i am slowly cycling down a storybook lane
cozy cottages dotting idyllic fields & cobblestone paths
i follow a meandering river 
topped with flowering lily pads

i see picnic tables encircled by smiling faces
children still playing pretend
& street corners that still house lemonade stands

sailboats bob in the harbor
while homes with endless pastures for backyards
& ivy covered porches 
harbor the never-ending imagination 

this is the place where playing outside 
never ceases to be the best past time 
where neighbors always stop to share stories 
& where slow sunday afternoons occur 
on most days of the week 

i've jumped into the pages 
& have caught a glimpse of my own 
simply
happy
ever after