Children I Was (Part I) by Lyle Berry

Fondling faux jewels
marbles from a tattered velveteen bag,
emeralds, sapphires, rubies, topaz
on a pee-stained comforter -
lost in translucent allure
I was a pirate with plundered booty
on an exotic island

Chasing grasshoppers
in tall Montana grasses
and tumbleweeds
Some were white and exotic
with long, wicked ovipositors
Imagining they were poisonous
(but snatching them anyway)
I put them in mason jars
with nail-punctured lids
I was Frank Buck
but hoped dad
would take me fishing
in the Missouri

That summer reels on forever -
a continuous video
when I explored our neighborhood
in Great Falls
on a full-sized Schwinn
only able to reach the pedals
because it was my friend’s sister’s bike
On the crest of a hill
I was the King of the Realm
looking over my domain in awe

That Halloween
early mountain snow dappled
the streets and alleyways
Jack-o-lantern’s grinned with menace
on every porch
as Dad towed a train of Flexible Flyers
laden with us costumed kids and paper sacks of loot
from house to house
dressed in Grandpa’ s fringed and beaded Indian jacket,
a feathered headdress
and his handmade dagger
Me, bursting with pride

Kindergarten winter and
I walked the two miles
to Longfellow school
baked potato in each pocket
itchy wool scarf wrapped securely
Mom-knitted mittens on my hands
to drink luke cool milk for two cents
eat macaroni with cheese and cherry jello
and learn to sing
“Polly-wolly doodle all the day"

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Children I Was (Part I)
by Lyle Berry (Age: 61)
copyright 08-25-2001

Age Rating: 18 to 127

Prose-n-Poetry.com

Children I Was (Part I) by Lyle Berry (Age: 61) copyright 08-25-2001 Age Rating: 18 to 127

Children I Was (Part I)
by Lyle Berry (Age: 61)
copyright 08-25-2001

Age Rating: 18 to 127