This Used to Be Their Playground

One of my favorite parts of being a parent (and one of my favorite things as a child) is going to the playground with my son, Mikey. Hearing his laughter and seeing the smile on his face as he would come down the sliding board or as I would push him on the swing are a couple of my favorite experiences with him.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the social distancing/lockdown that has come with it, has forced playgrounds to close. This unwelcome change for my son and for other children is sad, but necessary. But a playground without the sights and sound of children at play is not a playground.

For the children who normally fill this space with joy, and for the parents and grandparents who normally would sit and watch those children, this used to be their playground. I join them in hoping it will soon fulfill the true definition of that word.

Children of all ages normally fill this place of fun and relaxation with laughter and the sounds of joyful play. Now the playground is quiet and deserted. It’s no longer a place for playing.

Canon t1i f/3.5 1/200 ISO 100 18mm

The basketball court is usually full of intense competition and vertical acrobatics. Now it’s a locked-down, barren place where players no longer fly through the air. Play is grounded.

Canon t1i f/3.5 1/100 ISO 100 18mm

These steps to fun are blocked by a wooden fence and a sign that most of the children probably can’t read. To them, it only says, “You cannot play!”

Canon t1i f/5.6 1/100 ISO 100 55mm

Police tape and a makeshift wooden barricade now block the climb to play and fun.

Canon t1i f/5.6 1/100 ISO 200 53mm

The clubhouse is now closed…to all.

Canon t1i f/1.8 1/250 ISO 200 50mm

The chainlink fence that usually keeps the basketballs in, now keeps everything out. The torn, dangling net seems fitting as it awaits replacement at a future, still unknown time.

Canon t1i f/5.6 1/100 ISO 100 55mm

If birds are meant to fly, swings are meant to swing. Here, their welcoming curves sit still. If they’re lucky, a strong wind will give them a brief ride into normalcy.

Canon t1i f/5.6 1/50 ISO 200 55mm

Baby swings, that usually give young children their first feelings of the thrill of soaring through the air, are now tied still…unable to slip their bondage.

Canon t1i f/5.6 1/50 ISO 200 55mm