Category: Childhood

The Rock


Split hoof print embedded
Some lost long eons ago

It’s a part of our story

Ties us
Binds us

The pasture trek a
Summer ritual

Rusty well water and saltines sustain

The farm’s sold now

Thank you for moving it to Lornie’s
It’s comforting/stabilizing to know it’s close at hand

Should I ever need to visit
(and I might)

Prairie oh prairie

How you call me home

Is that what’s the matter with me


I moved


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Milky Tea

Milky Tea

Slurped from the saucer

Norman don’t do that

A sidelong glance

Thank goodness for Grandpas

Who 
Do 
Things 

Their 
Own
Way

(not always polite)

Watch and Learn
wee ones
Watch and Learn

Walk your own way
Walk your own way

Even if you get heck

Walk your own way
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Man in the Moon

Oh Full Moon
(Man in the Moon)

I used to believe

You were watching 

Me

Looking down with love
(or at least benevolence and compassion)

Looking down
On my simple little life

Seeing me
(And smiling)

I used to believe
(Who am I kidding)

Still do
It’s true

Shine on
Shine on 
Me
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Valentine’s Day

I dreamed a dream
And you were you
(but not exactly really)
Taller
Kinder
Funnier
Sweeter
And you were almost dead (in bed)
And I had come 
(with my new truck)
And it was Valentines Day
And you got up and said
Come on, I want to go and buy your Grandma a silver chain
And we toddled and wobbled to find my truck
(of course I had forgotten where it was parked)
And we got in
And you said
This is a pretty nice truck
And I am seen and loved and understood
And I see and love and understand


Grandpa
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Transported

Caraganas dreaming of popping their seeds
And summer lotions
And trees in all their fullness
And sun warmed grass
And flowers
And breeze
And I’m transported
To a 

Thousand happy memories

And the 

Joy of them
Makes me

Weep 

(in)

Peace 

And

Gratitude
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I Rode My Bike

I rode my bike

Past the Saskatoon Crematorium
Past S.I.R.
Past Dundurn
Past The Blackstrap
And

The weather changed
(as weather will)
And who knew there were hills on these prairies

I arrived 

Cold and 
Tired and 
Wet and 
Hungry and 
Thirsty 
(very thirsty)

Thankful the tires were intact
(unprepared as I was)

At Grandpa and Grandmas

Hanley
Saskatchewan

And if they were surprised 
They showed it not
The stoic politeness of sodbusters restrained 
The natural response 
To my foolishness
Cause 

No one 
(generally) 
Rode their bike 
On the highway 
(in those days)

And 

Love and grace 
Were more important

14
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Longing

Looking for home and

Longing for land that

 Owns me and

The particular smell of

Sod turned mud when

First drops of rain hit

Sun baked dust
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See You In The Funny Papers

I miss the days
Of daily newspapers and three channels on tv and two (mainly) on the radio 

I miss the days 
When everyone mostly said and read the heard the same thing

I miss the days 
Of reading the Saskatoon Star Phoenix
And the
Snap and crinkle and woosh and sigh 
Of the paper being read

I miss the days
Of friendliness

When everyone was listening to the same voices 
(mostly)
And laughing at the same jokes

I miss the days 
Of daily cartoons
(the best ones ending up on the fridge or the bulletin board at work)

I miss the weekend funny papers
And racing to see them first

I miss the days 
When
'See you in the funny papers'
Meant something

Don't you?
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Math (also) Not Math

Bobby has 2 dollars
So goes to the store
To buy apples for his classmates 
(there are 23)
For 15 cents a piece 
(the apples)

Now

How shall he make sure that

Each classmate
(there  are 23)
Gets the same amount of apple

And

How many apples should he buy


(And how shall he carry them
When store is so far
And what if someone doesn’t like apples
Or only likes green ones
And should he wash them
And how shall he cut them
Is there a cutting board and a knife
And he’s never cut an apple
So how he will make them even
And if they’re not even 
Will his classmates feel put out
And will that make recess 
Especially terrible
And will there be napkins
And)
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