Mother Natures Sons

 

Tony lived out in the country

on a hundred acre estate

There on our throne, we called Tombstone

is where we would tempt our fate

On what we called the back forty

set the barn where our ponies stayed

There we could count, each trusty mount

to partner in each game we played

 

 

We picked up our neighbor Georgie

from a bit farther down the lane

 In an hours course, saddled each horse

then set off with the morning rain

Georgie always rode ole Rusty

a stud with a mind of his own

Tough and so wild, mind of a child

ole Rusty was bad to the bone

 

We never went on safari

without carrying BB guns

Which we toted, locked and loaded

we were all mother nature’s sons

We had mastered our universe

or to us at least it seemed so

That afternoon, we shot a coon

how he escaped I'll never know

Off we raced to Lost Creek

our favorite watering hole

Crazy Rusty, hot and dusty

rode out on point for this patrol

Out past the neighbors fields of corn

our club house in the willow tree

The winding lane, a weather vane

to the creek that ran to the sea

 

 

We tied the horses to a tree

in the grass by the swimming hole

Piled up the rocks, just like Fort Knox

making it deeper was our goal

All afternoon we played out there

shooting targets off the ridge

Saddled each horse, and in due course

we set off for the cement bridge

 

 

The bridge barely cleared the water

where the rain had swollen the creek

So now it ran, over the span

as it had the entire week

Now George of course wanting the lead

headed for the top of the ridge

He couldn't see apparently

the algae that grew cross the bridge

 

 

He met the bridge at full gallop

Rusties shoes slipped as he went down

George screamed "Oh crap," and with a snap

broke his leg and began to drown

 We both jumped in and pulled him out

caught his horse and threw him back on

Pain made him hurl, he screamed like a girl

any dignity was now gone

 

 

We drug him back to his mothers house

where she promptly rushed him to town

Tony and I, both waved goodbye

determined that we wouldn't frown

We camped under the stars that night

each wrote out our Wills in a draft

Tony turned in, and with a grin

said "tomorrow we build a raft"

Author's Note

As a boy Tony Williams and I were most fortunate to have his families hundred acre estate to roam on. In a fool-hearty downriver adventure. He and I had attempted to ride the current during a storm upon a tube with a door atop it. The tube struck a fallen tree downstream and turned under the water. We both thought it was the end. Happily we both bobbed up on the other side and floated 6 miles down to my grandfathers Eddies bridge where we secured a ride home. On the way home Tony said "Well this day is shot all to hell! One didn't know what might come next with Tony. But one things for sure, another day meant another adventure.

Reviews

[Devanshu Rajput]

nicely executed poem descrbing pecious childhood in mother's land

[Tate Morgan]

I wish all children had these memories Blessed by thew Midwest sun

[Leslie Philibert]

fine poem, then reminded me of Mark Twain in its celebration of childhood,, I really like
autobiographical poems, and this is done very well.

[Tate Morgan]

Mark Twain was our hero and still is.In him I saw the quintessential young man

[Pete Langley]

As they say, Tate...all in a day`s play? As kids, we test ourselves all the time, don`t we? We have no notion of failure or if we do, somehow it just gets forgotten as the next challenge comes along. You capture the atmosphere well here. P.

[Tate Morgan]

Testing our character as well as as our prowess I see childhood as the rehearsal for adulthood.

[patricia]

You portray childhood adventure with astonishing recall. All those experiences though in the past are working wonders for you even now, they are the book of life you can study, transform and reinterpret in an endless world of writer's form. Left in your capable hands like Proust you know exactly what to home in on and exhibit. In light of the recent gun controversy which I know you have responsibly wrote about recently you have here shown a lighter and more historic balance to the role guns have played in American society.

[Tate Morgan]

It often occurs to me that my adult brethren have forgotten what it means to be a child

[zainul]

Breathtaking piece.
Read and imagined how agile you and your friends had been!
How about your other friends now?
Do they enjoy your poems?
Well,I approve your idea of spreading ashes over the fields,creeks and hills of your boyhood.
But,I am not sure if your family and friends would allow or not.
Have a nice time before taking refuge at the last home.

[Tate Morgan]

thank you so much I hope all your friends still exist and hold to that childish wonder

[zainul]

You are most wlcome.
Yes,we still have most of them to hold that childish wonder :)

[spiritwind]

Yes! Your story is the story of all of us who were allowed to roam in nature's classroom! I didn't go the beebee gun route but definitely pulled every tupid stunt known and unknown to mankind and oh how I miss my life back then... Thank you for sharing this beatiful poem chock full of memories

[Tate Morgan]

Nature blessed us with eternal wonder.And in that we see the child in each of us Born to wonder and wander in the hope of discovery.So here's to your dreams coming to fruition

[Frieda P]

Sounds like you had an idyllic childhood, very sweet memory except for the broken bones of course. Very well written, much enjoyed this one Tate.

[Tate Morgan]

Thankfully the broken bones belong to George in all my life and all the hap instance i called everyday life i never broke a bone I bounced well

[Dean Kuch®]

A fabulous tale of adventure and innocent youth, I found this gem of a story carrying me back to those days of yesteryear, when my friends and I didn't have a real care in the world. I enjoy writings such as these. They bring back such fond memories.
Great write Tate. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

[Tate Morgan]

Dean these meanderings onto my life have always sustained me in adulthood where i followed the the winding roads to adventure Thank you

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i really enjoyed this...of course my friends and i, we rode bikes, didn't get to ride horses...but i have...and have been thrown off a few times...always the important thing...to get right back on no matter what.

life is like that...it throws us off and then we need to get right back on....

your poems are always such interesting stories, Tate.

jacob

[Tate Morgan]

We too rode bikes and i use to ride 7 miles to Tony's house to play and many times stayed and entire month.I even went on vacation with him He and i were inseparable I dont suppose adult parents can understand that now days

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good story. Kids know how to enjoy life. I try to be like my Grandmother. Allow my children and Grand children to know freedom and imagination. Thank you for sharing the entertaining story.
Coyote

[Tate Morgan]

Bravo and i tip my hat to you in recognition of your attempt to pass these joys to your own