The Tree House

I grew up in Mesa Arizona on a street called Marilyn Ave. it was about 3 blocks long. At one point we had 50 kids under the age of 12, all LDS living on that street. Best Neighborhood in the world.
There was an empty lot behind the house that was directly across the street from us and one year all the kids got together and built some tree houses (if you can call them that) I have a picture of the monstrosity that I will post as soon as I figure out how to do it. This is a poem I wrote about that experience.

We had a plan my friends and me to build a house up in a tree
Then once we had it built just right, we'd have a "China Berry" fight
We went around the neighborhood and gathered nails and scraps of wood
We spread the word down our short street that all the neighbor kids should meet
At Jerry's house. So bring your stuff we'll check to see if there's enough
Saws, hammers, boards and nails, wear your tool belt, bring your pails
There's work enough for everyone and while we're working we'll have fun!
So off we went my friends and me to build a house up in a tree
We knew what our first task would be
To build a ladder up the trunk so we could climb with all our junk
To that big limb up in the tree where the first room of our house would be.
When that was done we then began the second phase of our big plan
We built a floor on which to sit, of course not everyone would fit
We worked through summer, had tons of fun
Then one day declared our work was done.
Our tree house complete, we were proud as can be
We asked our parents to come over and see
And over they came with cameras and pride
They looked at our tree house and panicked inside
The tree house we thought was so terribly keen
Was the most dangerous place our parents had seen!
They picked up old boards with rusty nails
Covered an old well and put tools back in pails
They went home shaking their heads in dismay
And all of us kids commenced to play.

By Merrila Kowacich Copyright 2001