Featured Grownup Post: random thoughts on tradition
lying in the cool grass,
what is that i see in the clouds?
could it be a young bonnie lass?
see the prism, painted rainbow,
is there a pot of gold,
way behind those trees so low?
meet you at the magical fortress,
the tree house we secretly built,
from old boards mind you, not trash.
may i have some more,
can i be excused dad,
i'll be home before your snores.
crayons, glue and scissors,
rainy day fun,
mom always has an answer.
bedtime it is,
brother and sister are tucked in,
no fears of the sandman sis.
you should never tell a lie,
pinnochio's nose you'll find
or bumps on the tongue, don't try.
sunday morning, cramped on the pew,
stiff collars, hell-fire and brimstone heat,
not to mention the pinching new shoe.
fried chicken, gravy and rice,
quiet after sunday dinner,
grandpa and daddy share advice.
hot august dives in the lake,
summertime friends,
a needed school time break.
fish fries at uncle melvin's house,
horseshoes clang,
my uncles not at all like a mouse.
a walk to the local store,
soda and bubblegum,
twenty-five cents, not more.
christmas has come and gone,
it is not about the gift,
it is about the love born.
march winds blow,
kite flying in the
empty, grassy field we go.
easter eggs in a basket full,
spring arrives,
the earth is new and bountiful.
traditions are built,
from unconditional love,
it comes free of guilt.
the rite of passage,
from innocence to strife,
smart becomes silly; old sage.
when tradition is past,
we sit idly by,
wondering how and what we lost.
tradition is our comfort,
in youth and in age, but
these are only words from one whose time is short.
~ Tricia
Comments (50)
Awesome poem!
I love this! So many memories. How will I remember walking down to the store with a quarter.. It was all we needed. Or old coke bottles to turn in for the deposit money. And it's been too long since I flew a kite.. not since my kids were little.... Have a great day. peace
@peacenow - Yes, now that son has gone, I can only hope for grandchildren to channel my inner child. I hope it won't be too long, but neither do I want it to be too soon.
I totally agree with you about the movie the ending was terrible! :)
beautiful poem!
I like this, Tricia .. memories of childhood. We always look back ... sort of wishing that we could see it, again. Maybe not live it all over, but maybe to see everyone and how young they all were. How everything looked and smelled.
I'd like to experience the worry-free mind of my childhood ... just once, again.
@LadyTerri - Honestly Terri, I don't even know what the ending meant??? I mean, I completely didn't get it. If you did, please explain. I mean, I know the girl died, but that's not a surprise, but what was up with the "accidental" car accident, and then Tommy Lee at the end? I watched that three times, but I still couldn't figure it out. Was that how it is supposed to be?
RYR: I'm thinking I could find someone to fly a kite with now... some of "my girls"... =). It's a great idea. RYC: it's honestly a lost love thing.. But so often that element of Kendra is in everything. It certainly was in "Beyond the Green" which you commented... Have a wonderful evening. peace & smiles
Bravo! Tricia! The poem is brilliant.
Ah, Neil Diamond! One of my favorite singer/songwriters.
~~Blessings, prayers 'n cheers
That was just beautiful Tricia..........
really beautiful combo....words and photo/pics. very very lovely, evocative. Traditions are habits that allow the love to flow between the words....between intentions...to become.....natural. yes, short. but traditions can span our time and reach beyond.
I thought this was absolutely lovely. The way you worked the words and added the photos made for a highly evocative poem. Very fun to read.
I love this post so much
How beautiful. With pictures, too.
I bet you are the best teacher one could have.
You're killing me with the fried chicken, gravy, and rice!! M'mm.
Just kind of skimmed through this whole page of posts. It was a delightful journey, of pictures, thoughts, and poems, knitted together with Neil Diamond's "I Am I Said," Thank you.
Great post Lots of nostalgia set to poetry. I remember when a quarter would buy a lot. We had fried chicken and rice and gravy, too. Lots of memories.
Neil Diamond, one of my favorites.
No idea why, but my pc acts up on your site.Visited once before and tried to post without success. Took some doing, but I did it this time.
RYC: Peach tree switches aren't too bad. Daddy always used a slim one. switched us on the calves of our legs Not too painful, just a sting.
Oh so many wonderful memories. This poem is outstanding. Judi
I like.
I love your take on this writing challenge. You cover a lot of territory with a minimal amount of words. It's very cool! Great post!
Dear Tricia,
I'm attempting to "answer" all the comments I received on my featured Mar. 27th "Xangapedia" entry. Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment.
Whoops, sorry. I already know you. Above is what I'm copy/pasting in each of the entries for which I am replying to my Xangapedia entry. I finally got to yours, after two weeks. It's a long process, but I'm slowly getting there.
I did see your tribute to Charlton Heston. A magnificent iconic actor. I made a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke, so I HAD to make one for Chuck. I almost put something up for Richard Widmark too. How come as we get older so many more people seem to pass away? Interesting. (That was a rhetorical question.)
I don't know if I'll participate in the FG topic, but it so happens I'm commenting on yours here, so I will do so now.
Beautifully done. Five stars AND a recommend from me. Nowadays, even in the Catholic Church near where I live, nobody seems to 'dress up" in "Sunday Best" for Church. I wore my very first suit to church when I was 7 or 8 and that's a tradition that seems to have vanished. Pinched shoes and all.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
Love your poem. Loved being reminded about Sunday chicken dinner after church. Only instead of rice, we had mashed taters.
It's good to walk through lives in nostalgic words and photos to remind us all all the blessings we have.
That was wonderfully refreshing! Brought back so many memories!
This was beautiful...
ryc: Just that my grandma's words of how death follows me around scare me. Anyway, for now, let him remain with his mum and aunty,
I love your poetry! And the old pics! Ah, those were the days, weren't they?
Love ya! Tracy