Country roses would still garland
the doorways,
Crisp cotton dresses would
still look neat and cool.
Every day another dreamy
adventure just arrived,
Summer evenings allowed
playtime to never end.
Imagination was a best
friend who never argued,
Simplicity enjoyed
Christmas and birthdays better.
The give-me-now had not
been invented back then,
Enjoyment was easily
purchased and appreciated.
Yet childhood shielded so
much of harsh reality,
Mayhem and murder were
foreign and very far away.
The radio told the stories
which could be moderated,
No images to upset or to
impact on the idyllic of life.
Belief saw only goodness
while looking with childish eyes,
The truth hid its nasty
words spat behind silent whispers.
Love always hugged everyone
with relative frequency,
The foibles and the cracks
were not glimpsed at first.
Realisation hits hard with
its eventual unfeigned impact,
Naivety wrapped and
sheltered within childlike innocence.
©Copyright Eileen T O’Neill 08/10/2014
Poetry Jam: If I
Were….
Ah, those definitely were golden days, weren't they, Eileen? I loved the phrase about having imagination as your best friend. I think we had to use our imagination as children more than children do today with so many gadgets for entertainment. And so true that enjoyment was easily purchased....not as pricey as today. I do think it is wonderful to think fora while with our childlike heart and mind & to put the harsh realities out of our mind for a time. I enjoyed your reflections, Eileen!
ReplyDeleteThis poem is one of my favorites of yours, Eileen. You have brought back a lot of memories from my own childhood. I agree with you that we were not subject to as much upsetting images and words. I am not in favor of lying to children but at the same time I do not think kids need to see everything and anything at any age.
ReplyDeletetrue...we are sheltered quite a bit as kids...and our faith then has much more innocence to it...not tainted by skepticism having been bruised enough times....
ReplyDelete"Imagination was a best friend who never argued"...how true!!..this was because no one imagined for us, so little exposure of visuals those days.... and ah...heavenly innocence..so well captivated Eileen...
ReplyDeleteSo many look back on childhood as an such an ideal and innocent time and it is a romantic image as you depict in your poem. Somehow I think reality was always there--the bully at school, the annoying sibling, the kitten who died. Glad those memories fade.
ReplyDeleteYou have captured the most wonderful parts of childhood here Eileen. It is a time of innocence that we all miss in these times of crime and bad news on the TV.
ReplyDeleteRealisation hits hard with its eventual unfeigned impact,
ReplyDeleteNaivety wrapped and sheltered within childlike innocence.
Great ending Eileen! You have a way of ending that puts a finality to the poem. The connection to the rest of the poem will make them very apt and appropriate!
Hank
This is a wonderful capture it is full of hope and emotion. \to see life through the eyes of a child. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteah..the innocence of childhood is so sweet,,.beautiful lines..Eileen
ReplyDeleteI personally love embracing my inner-child. I think when we lose our inner-child, we lose a part of ourselves.
ReplyDelete