I close my eyes and remember
How we all waited until summer every year for
The long sultry days and luke warn nights in the alley
That were our sanctuary from the dull insides

We were all about the same age
Our bedtimes kept us from being out too long
It was easy back then
Us girls were brought together to be best friends forever
And it did last forever but ended too soon
We told our secrets to each other as if they were gold nuggets
Sometimes the gold would start wars
But one of us would raise a white flag
Before too much blood was lost

I thought our bonds were unbreakable
We all secretly wanted our childhood innocence to last a little longer
Just like we wanted Santa Clause to be real
But of course it didn’t
And the man with the jelly-jigglin’ stomach and white hair never existed

One summer the sun came out
And we all stayed inside
It didn’t matter that we had years behind us
That summer ended and we didn’t know it
But our childhoods ran away
When the blue skies began to cry
And turned to a depressing gray

Some of us discovered boys and all the trouble they can cause
Some of us learned how not to fall
While others started wearing make-up
And a few found ways to constantly change their face
Without ever even touching it

Now I open my eyes to the present
And other little girls our in our places in the alley
Their young voices hit the high notes
We had thought we invented
The rubber soles of their shoes smack against the pavement
And echo the steps we once took
Now we’re busy going down separate paths
Silently acknowledging the innocence
We can’t get back