Blue Skies and Green Fields

Me on the left Tony in the middle and Kerny on the right

Tony and I got up that day

As we looked for something to do

then with Kerny, took a journey

to the edge of the world we knew

I had brought a pack of cigarettes

we pilfered from the night before

From a red shirt, covered in dirt

his brother had left on the floor

 

As with all young boys of the time

we thought smoking would make us cool

And so we choked, as each one smoked

and acted then played the fool

Kerny brought along some fireworks

which were great for blowing up cans

Oh each could see, we were the three

who always had great master plans

 

On the lane that led to the house

were double rows of cherry trees

each infested, there they nested

with tent worms and a few with bees

It didn’t take much of a thought

to imagine routing them out

We made a torch, up on the porch

we would take care of them no doubt

 

We soaked the torch in gasoline

lit that baby and let it burn

“Oh yeah” we said, “they'll soon be dead”

as we each torched the trees in turn

When we had finished with that chore

flaming lollipops came to mind

As all the worms, then met our terms

there were none left for us to find

 

We were right proud of what we'd done

headed off for the house to gloat

So we the worst, quenched our thirst

there by the pond we called the moat

The day was only half over

after lunch we had plans to roam

So off we went, without repent

down the hill away from his home

 

We took the riding lawnmower

down the hill that led to the creek

Each full of fire, we'd never tire

there was no mercy for the weak

We used the mower to pull out

the bushes that blew in the breeze

then threw them off, the winding trough

where the creek had played through the trees

 

The only problem with this plan

came when we noticed all we'd done

For if we could, trumped if we should

though it was in the name of fun

luckily it was getting dark

the mosquitoes had taken flight

We'd done our best, gave it a rest

went back home and called it a night

 

There were always things to do then

around the hundred acre wood

With luck we'd keep, forgoing sleep  

and would live as we thought boys should

For there we tasted happiness

without television or phone

tested our strength, to such great length

that our muscles ached to the bone

 

So now we look back in dismay

as America's kids grow fat

We don't know why, our kids won't try

or why one might act like a brat

  They lack what we took for granted

the reward work and toil both yields

The right to play, every day

under blue skies on green fields

To Tony's mother Gladys in Heaven."Thank you for the love you shared with me and every child that ever crossed your doorstep." Here was a beautiful life!

Author's Note

My days as a child were filled by adventures. Some turned out good some bad. This one we pulled small trees and bushes out to throw over the bank where the creek took a hard turn. We wanted to keep the bank from eroding. However we kept going till we had torn out god knows how many trees and bushes. Too Many! But like most of the adventures we had we were plenty tired when we finished..It is this loss of activity that makes Americas children overweight. If we keep going the way we are our children will one day go to detox for being addicted to their phones.

Reviews

[lee von cleef]

Shy guy flipping me off (Kerny) I knew that kid , I was that kid , I 've been whipped for that "Photo Bomb" but today that is past, not even rebellious, oh boys fit a mold, and grow to be like the men around them , or the absence of them, don't mean to make the girls feel guilty they will do it all on their own.but boys need to play hard , the life they will be expected to live will be hard, so let em fall, cry , get tough,and drive anything that runs, ride anything with hair,and sleep in the thick night air ,sip water at every stream, they will need a strong belly full of a diversity of e coli to survive the world we are going to leave em. Good job Tate.

[Lydia Shutter]

Such a nostalgic adventure....but certainly not all good. Burning down trees was not exactly a good pasttime, now was it? A poem that brings to mind something my mother used to say, "Boys will be boys." At least back in the day, we found things to do out of the house and without electronic devices. This is very well written. I liked the tribute to your friend's mom at the end. Lydi**

[Angi]

I knew plenty of wild boys roaming our town. They were always getting into trouble like that. It is sad that kids nowadays don't even go outside! My girlfriends and I used to roam from morning till night, stalking our neighborhood bad boys! Ha! Angi~

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for sharing the story. I was a wild kid. I skip 50 days of school in second grade to go fishing at the lake. Kids in the old days knew freedom and needed to test life. Controlled kids learn fear and loss of hope and dreams. Kids need to know real freedom and no fear. Thank you for the outstanding tale.
Coyote

[L.Edward]

Excellent muse. I could feel the familiar ring of my own childhood within this piece. I recall the same fascination with fire and messing around with it. Sometimes it got out of control. So did we. Often I had trouble telling where the fire ended and we began. I can totally relate: it was all about boundaries: finding the edges of the known universe by throwing rocks at it.

"Growing old, mandatory; growing up definitely optional."

Bill Hicks

[Chris]

A remembrance that took me back as well...Different days huh...sigh.

[An owl on the moon]

You speak such a bittersweet song over us here... the days of pure pleasure.. the wildness of youth.. the destiny of young people today who seek such different paths... Always powerful.. always poignant, my friend.

[Frieda P]

Not sure the answer to today's youth addiction to technology is torching trees but I get it, I hardly ever see kids riding their bikes anymore but it's a totally different time and place now. Most parents I know don't feel safe letting their kids out to roam free as we once did, with access to so much more information also comes the fear of what lurks out in the streets nowadays. Good read, love the music too, hey, you were a cute kid!

[sharonlee]

A very real and well written snippet of childhood... always a great depth to your writing Tate