see saw

we are the abandoned see-saw in the corner of the park:
 unwanted, untouched, overlooked.

we are full of divots and carvings and a splotchy paint job.

we are the one that parents warn children of, considered unhealthy and dangerous.

the years we have endured are recorded in paint color:
 red, orange, pink, blue, white, green, and yellow
each trying to claim the most space on our surface.

we are carved.
we are marked by the brave who ventured close enough and long enough to leave their impression on us, and we are unable to rid ourselves of them.

we are beyond conventional repair. 

we are all alone, left to mull over our pasts and have fruitless hope
that the future will be different.

we are uneven, unstable, undesirable.

we are us.