Police Officer

We are all under ten,
A passel of little kids
Mostly unrelated
Who play in
Our neighborhood.
We have entered a
Separate garage through
A narrow window to
Play among the bundles
Stacked in the dim
Interior of the garage.
Suddenly the side door
Opens and a police officer
Steps into the doorway,
He does not crouch
And unholster his gun.
Instead he calls to us,
We are hiding in the stacks
Of bundles in the dark,
“You kids need to get out
Of this garage right now,
That stuff is dangerous
To breathe, you hear?”
No one speaks or moves,
We are unaware the bundles
Are siding laced with asbestos.
The officer leaves the door
Open and walks away.
We freeze in place for
A few minutes then
Crawl back out
The back window
And scatter
To our homes
To hide and
Contemplate
Our brush
With the
Law.
We are
Ignorant
Of our danger
From asbestos
Or the skill
Of the police
Officer.