playground is the pleasure garden
of the sons, an infantile idyll.
Nature, sex,
eroticism in chaste playfulness -
like the water in the fountain:
A transparent dome
masking a statue of a siren.
The youth in white breeches and the girl
with the Cul de Paris play hide and seek.
Their game a dance, a pas-de-deux.
Allusion, yet so intensely innocent
that we do not actually expect
a real kiss.
Instead
of team basketball...
which is what youre learning
how to play.
he told my daddy
that he knew I could play...
so hejust had to play me hard.
I can see the playground in him.
I can see talent.
But I dont see the confidence.
With Isiah, I just knew
he was gonna be a great one.
he had that total combination
of personality, confidence, talent...
intelligence.
I think I see it in one kid
that
Playground for Junior!
Wow.
Its amazing!
Manny.
I made it myself. Our family.
Hey, why arent I up there?
- You can be on ours.
- Youd fit right in!
Thanks!
Of course, its still a work in progress.
A few rough edges here and there.
I dont believe it.
Youre trying to baby-proof nature.
Baby-proof nature? Get out of here.
Thats ridiculous.
Manny, this is the world our babys
gonna grow up in.
You can
playground... where intense heat has half-melted
the 4 jungle gym, the blast has warped the swing set, the
merry-go-round has sagged in the firestorm. Small skulls look
accusingly from the ash-drifts. WE HEAR the distant echo of
childrens voices... playing and laughing in the sun. A silly,
sing-songy rhyme as WE TRACK SLOWLY over seared asphalt where the
faint hieroglyphs of hopscotch lines are s
playground. Its dangerous.
- Dad, can I have a ride home? - Look, Alan.
Is Billy Jessup picking on you again?
Son, youre gonna have to face him sooner or later.
Look, if youre afraid of something, youve got to stand and face it.
Now, run on, son.
Carl, you should know better than to let the boy play in here.
Sorry, sir.
- What was it you wanted to show me? - Just a minute, sir.
What the devil--
G