Sweaters and jackets
Lie haphazardly
Abandoned by a gust of children
Who blew across the playground
A whirlwind of careless laughter
Leaving behind splashes
of green/orange/blue/pink/yellow/red
cheetah spot and zebra stripe
in fleece and satin.
The arms stretch and twist
around mittens and hats
Supplicants wanting only to hold
Their children again.