And I would be a child again

When I was a child, I thought,

thought not so deeply as to

cause a sleepless night

and never deep enough to

set the world from wrong to right.

Enough it was, that friends and I could play 

lighthearted through the summer days.

Hiding out in secret places,

playing hopscotch, running races,

sailing paper boats in streams

and making things come true with dreams;

as overhead, high in a cloudless sky

the future passed us carefree by. 

Thus, I would be a child again,

set free, a spirit, consummate, divine;

at one with others of my kind,

as lyrical in heart and mind 

our thirsty lips and dusty, 

sun-kissed feet, basked in the 

thrall of high mid-summers heat,

as time spoke quietly, drew us in

 and the world turned slowly, 

spin on spin. 

With posthumous thanks to Philip Larkin,

for the first line of this poem. 

Reviews

[CD Campbell]

Brilliant poem. That hopeful child still lives I think. I do sometimes wish society would stop telling us to grow up when they can't even define what that is or why. Is sitting on our asses in front of the T.V. watching reality crap grown up? Anyway, the strong point on this poem was the visualization of childhood. It made me pine for mine. CD

[Robert]

To go back to being a child as you have mentioned, that would be so wonderful. I don't know if I would like to permanently but for a short period of time. So Beccy you just made me go back in time in my thoughts for a moment. Thank you very lovely piece.

[Ronny]

Enjoyed this one :)
How nice it would be to be a kid from time to time.
The biggest worries you had was green or red lollipop, bike or skateboard...
We appreciated the small things and got excited by nothing.

Thanks for sharing :)

[Jimmy Yetts]

Lovely to share your even lovelier reverie, Beccy.
The most difficult childhoods are often--at least, in part--recalled with fondness.
These were our days of grace; time of the sheltering.
Thanks, gifted poetess, for reminding us we once tasted Heaven.
A brilliant offering!--one that cannot help but linger.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

love phillip larkin...

and this poem brings me back to my youth...in the fifties and early sixties...when life for children was much simpler...when we actually got to be kids...we played from dawn past dusk....and the world turned slowly....as i have aged, time goes by so fast now...and times are so different...kids grow up too fast and have little childhood to remember when they grow older.

[An owl on the moon]

Sighing in the sweetness of childhood... of the lightness of it... the pure joy of it... and even though there were dark shadows that found me, it was such a time of freedom... of peace... You so beautifully convey the longing to find that place again... Maybe it can be... somehow?

[Sami Khalil]

A very sweet and amazingly reflective poem. You pull us back to those wonderful times to many people. Excellent...:).....

[ANTO]

Your words here recall such lovely times Beccy. I havent heard that word - the game, hopscotch mentioned in a long time. I would also love to join your merry band to become a child again.
"...as time spoke quietly, drew us in" - beautiful poetry.
:)

[Tom]

' When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me'. 1 Corinthians 13:11, I believe, but then again... those oh so enjoyable formative years are instrumental in making us into the adults we become !

Astoundingly engrossing cerebral poetry, enjoyed immensely Beccy !!

[Woody]

aah to be a child again! what a sweet write this is! you have such a knack of finding the right word to paint a perfect picture. this is not the first one where your son is the instigator of a dreamy poem.