Just Having Fun

by Mitch aka Handsomea

We escaped to the pond hidden deep in the woods

three ten-year-old boys from the wane of the crowd

Playing Tarzan, and pirates in search of a sailing ship

our Huck Finn would have made Mark Twain proud.

~~

Our wooden sticks were as sharp as Blackbeard´s sword

we lowered our brows, ready to attack on any sea

Sleeves from old shirts gave us our bandanas

just having fun, Clarence Brown, Bobby and me

~~

Three summers we spent wading in water to our knees

then a bolt of lightning struck us one terrible day

A disease neither I nor Bobby could even spell

came and took our friend Clarence Brown away.

~~

The pond was gone to us, the pirates never returned

years later we did go back and sat on the pond´s leeward side

I with my head between my legs, Bobby supported by a tree

we sobbed for hours, recalling the day Clarence died.

~~

Once a year we trek through the woods to that pond

but the tears are now gone for we only wish to see

Kids who build a raft that sunk at first launch

just having fun, Clarence Brown, Bobby and me.

~~~

By Handsomea aka Mitch

(October 1998)

© All rights reserved Handsomea aka Mitch

This page was designed for a friend to display his poem. ~Niftyann~

August 30, 1999