our toys don't live here
in this room labelled Fragile!
they are fence sitting, feet dangling
perched on an empty can,
waiting for a stone's aim
they are crouching behind
shrubs & trees & empty boxes
rubber band ready, stretched to
paper target, faking death on whim
they are hiding under beds,
behind cabinets, above the kite tails,
ready to seek shrill
You are It !
throw dice to lose a point
or advance a number on checkered board
loosely scattered like marbles
colored sun, sunflowers bursting -
toys snake up & down
in ladders until everyone gets 100 or heaven
is where we all play
princess with long blanket hair &
soldiers with plastic swords -
shake one hand fast:
paper, stone or scissor?
sometimes they're wood & sky
mostly scrabbled dirty
of ice cream & biscuits
these toys
are not for sale
for they're the chicken soup
of our childhood days-
Posted for D'verse Poets Pub- Childhood Games & Toys
Picture credit: here
This was a nice collection.. I get a little uneasy by some of those memories.. reminds of loosing and left out of the games... but somehow that's part of growing up I assume...
ReplyDeleteWe are five in the family, so I had ready made playmates ~ If you include cousins, well you have a team ~ Thanks Bjorn ~
DeleteI tend to hold on to memories like this...you brought them out games I had stored away in the trunk marked childhood....
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely label to keep ~ Thanks Robert ~
Deleteah that brought back some memories... the toys are the chicken soup of our childhood days...i like... and often all we needed was a ball... it doesn't need much to make a bunch of kids happy..smiles
ReplyDeleteYes a ball and a nice summery afternoon ~ Thanks Claudia ~
DeleteI loved the way you made toys out of what you had around. I remember such things as throwing stones at cans, etc. too. And we never tired of rock, paper, scissors....and hide and seek was one of our usual evening games, right before it became totally dark. Your words tweak my memories, Grace.
ReplyDeleteFun times Mary ~
DeleteYou weaves numerous games I played too into your poem Grace, including those which involved no or very little equipment. And I also had siblings to play with.
ReplyDeleteThose were the carefree days, thanks ~
DeleteI liked the way you made the toys the medine that kept your soul well. >KB
ReplyDeleteThanks KB ~
DeleteGrace, congrats on rocking/socking the prompt as you hopscotched us back to our childhoods, holding hands in a daisy chain, with you as Mother Nature/Hubbard guide; lovely, sweet, nostalgic; thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks Glenn ~
Deleteoh Grace now you talk about toys (I love them) the other day I was thinking in all these toys we still have of our twins (they have 19) but I have the Esperanza barbies, the barbie's houses, Ditto matchbox and others, dinosaurios,Star Wars toys, etc. aah! I thinks was lovely this time when they playes with them, xo
ReplyDeletefragile toys are an oxymoron, I think :) ~
ReplyDeletethese toys are not for sale...most def...the greatest toy ever was our imaginations and what we could come up with out of what little we had...rocks and sticks made for great toys...lots of tag in the woods and after dark...ooo that was so fun...smiles.
ReplyDeleteMy mother saved our barbies for us. Let's just say that they were well-loved and not worth as much as she'd hoped (yet more than anything, of course).
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ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories. You depict your childhood in sunflower hue. Thank you for making my smile!
ReplyDeleteThe cat could imagine much and use anything as a toy, plus some were good to annoy, oh the joy
ReplyDeleteNot For Sale! Chicken soup! How right you are. I love the rhythm of this poem and the remembered busy fun.
ReplyDeletethank you Grace for taking me back to snakes and ladders which I had forgotten about, to our imagination that was so precious. This made me smile x
ReplyDeleteThis compilation brought back memories... yes, the chicken soup nourishment of our childhood.
ReplyDeleteThe best toys were the ones that we made out of what we had available weren't they? I loved this :)
ReplyDeleteThis brought back so many memories.
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories. Ah yes, snakes and ladders, the rough and tumble of life in a game:)
ReplyDeleteThis brings me back ... Well done Grace!
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking of my childhood lately Grace. I don't really remembering having one like this. I wasn't overly abused but it just wasn't like this. Mostly i remember a certain solitude and staying out of other peoples way.
ReplyDeleteWow wow! What a lovely montage to childhood games. :-)
ReplyDeletei love that the toys are played with and NOT for sale, just as the memories of happy times in childhood are precious.
ReplyDeletethis is a wonderful response to the prompt, Grace!
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A great poem, I love it. :) Have a great weekend , Grace.
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