The Surety of Concrete

 

The Surety of Concrete

B y James Rodney Moorer

 

There were no apple trees, poplar or birch to line the path along the way.

 No lilac scented breeze to tickle my nose or waft through my hair as I trod off to school.

No mystery to be solved, waiting to be found behind a tree, or in a cave deep, foreboding, ominous.

 

No pirates’ gold, no bullfrogs croaking or dragonflies hovering lazily in the air over a lily filled pond.

 

No lunch box with Howdy-Doody, Woody Wood Pecker or Wally gator painted on it, packed with a ham sandwich leftover from the morning’s breakfast, only a paper bag.

Perhaps with some spam and corn meal cakes.

 

There was only the surety of concrete beneath my feet as I made my way daily.

To and fro, back and forth.

 

Sometimes noting that something attempted to grow where it had been broken.

 

Reviews

[THERISA]

Not all fail to find the nourishing soil
Which to plant roots to thrive and grow
Overcoming uncountable odds in doing so.

As a kid living in the concrete jungle of suburbia, your poem brought back memories of the catwalks and asphalt trails, which marked my path to school. Our lunchboxes had Spiderman, Captain America and the Flintstones on them. Only thing, which grew on these pathways, were the mounds of dirty snow and ice, leftovers from winter clearing. Thank you for sharing this peck into your past with this poem.

[JustKeith]

Well done. Well done.

[D. Pesek]

I really enjoyed reading this. You have a great style.

[Lizanne]

Just like something attempting to grow from the crack in the concrete, you grew into a stronger person from what was maybe a little crack in the foundation of your childhood.

[Gandré]

This poem tells me that experience is everything! Nicely said.

[R J Askew]

Supurb title. I had to read this and I was not disappointed. You are right sometimes all the cliche nice stuff that optimistic souls focus on is simply not there in for many in many circumstance. I like the focus on hard reality behind the poem. What is that famous rap song about a rose growing from a crack in the concrete?

[Markymark]

I like this piece. The imagery that follows the reading are lasting and evoke an emotion....just what good poetry is supposed to do. Was this your brother's work?

MM

[Ed Hart]

i know that street...i would say thanks for the memories, but better to congratulate you on picking up that poem from the sidewalk...

[Samuel Dickens]

This sounds like quite a barren walk to school. Much reminiscient of my own when I was a kid, only there were trees, bullfrogs, etc. Howdy Doody and Woody Woodpecker are some of my old friends, but they haven't been around for a LONG time.