RoadWriter

Make Visible: Childhood

I’m a poet with a particular point of view. In these next blog posts I’ll post poems on different subjects from my point of view. Each poem is an expression, through me, of inspiration or Spirit or emotion. What you see in this light is what you bring to the poem.

These are memories from childhood. They aren’t strictly accurate, but they do capture the flavor of my childhood. Sometimes truth is more important than accuracy. Memory is a maze of images that we can get lost in easily. Try writing poems about your childhood. You’ll be surprised at what you come up with!

Car Trip

“It’s so hot,” Mom said for the 500th time,

Bubble gum melted like pink vinyl onto the back seat,
Dad pulled over, “Sir, you were doing at least
65” by the State Patrol—just a warning.
I threw up Hershey bars and Coke, carsick on my
Cousin Keith from Minnesota, we stopped at the “one
And only” reptile farm—snake shows and a 10
Foot python. We stayed at a motel that went nowhere,
Looked like a train, everyone saw Old Faithful except me,
I was in the Ladies room.
In Nevada we bought fireworks for the 4th, my brother
Exploded a cherry bomb in the toilet and stole
All the Dunes ashtrays.
My mom swore we’d never go on a trip like that again,
In our cool air-conditioned living room, while I played
Cards, a picture of the sunshine state on the backs.

Dad said “Next summer let’s go to Disneyland.”

© Anne Westlund

Come back on Friday, July 26th for Make Visible: Communication

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.”~Robert Bresson, French Film Director