The Lost Counry Of Being Five

 

I was there once you know, childhood,

 it was a land of letter-books,

it smelled like crayons, tuna-fish, and finger-paints,

it seems like an exotic country I visited long ago

If I think hard enough I can still remember a few words of the language.

Sometimes I still get annoyed when I hear the round tones of the

big people

Talking to the children.

They talk slowly, smile and speak in an extended exaggeration

"Were you bike riding today Timmy?"

Timmy looks puzzled because he's sitting on

his bike, training wheels behind it.

The speakers such are usually older people

who delight in stumbling over the obvious.

I remember how in that five year old land

silliness was reason.

logic was what you wanted to do

at the moment crossed,

with what the teacher,

or your mommy,

would let you get away with.

The moment's seemed to be breathy.

I ran everywhere then.

impulse was gasoline,

and trees and play the destination.

I still remember the adults talking to me

in that drawn-out slow way, 

thinking them a tad odd 

 because they smiled at me like I was a little non-

English speaking foreigner.

Then off I would go to the swings,

not to think or to ponder any of it at all.

I did not think that way back in

that peanut butter and jelly country.

Until now

when I'm writing these lines about it and thinking

how I sometimes catch myself talking

in the same manner

to my little boy.

Reviews

[Kara Emily Krantz]

awwwwwwwww i adore it adore it ADORE IT. I'm really impressed. I wansn't expecting it :) this is fantastic.

"If I think hard enough I can still remember a few words of the language."

love that line... and then the poem just got better. :)

this has been on my mind lately - partly, because i just wrote a poem about childhood myself, and i didn't realize i had missed things until i wrote it (when the world was new). and secondly, i'm reading Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.... and he writes ... so wonderfullly... through the eyes of himself as a child, growing up. I can't believe I haven't read the book yet, but I'm so glad to be reading it now. It's quite incredible - and you put so much of that here - that breathy... impulsive... childhood. and... great piece. it's going in my favorites :)
hugs
thanks for sending it my way

[Lia]

I really liked this piece. I remember those time. The best, care free times. Great work. Thanks