Literary Mama : Poetry : Age Five in the Afternoon

Age Five in the Afternoon

March 6, 2011

Can I go to Megan's house?
Coat, I say.
It trails in his hands over cedar fronds,
   mud and break-your-mother's-back cracks.
They return, the inseparables,
   before the fog of my hand
   leaves the doorknob.

Chittering squirrels, they gather, gather, gather.
Blanket fort, seating for six
Neon weapons cache at 12, 3, and 9 o'clock because,
you never know.
Look what we drew. It's a map of someplace cool.
The video we're not watching is over.
These are washable markers, right?
Barbie and Yoda fell in the toilet and they like it.

Did you know
cats hate trampolines and
ramen can come out your nose,
if you tell the joke right.

Come on, let's go to your house.
It's so boring around here.

Comments

Writing a poem that induces laughter along with personal childhood memories is even more difficult than telling a joke that induces a nasal-ramen episode! Well done!

Posted by Hope on Mar 7, 2011

This kindles childhood memories of time spent in a blanket cave with my caring and interested-in-me older step-brother. ...old memories, now, but cherished memories always. Thank you for billowing my sail.

Posted by JW on Mar 11, 2011

This is lovely! I especially like the pace of this poem, the rapidfire immediacy of it.

Posted by Rachel Barenblat on Mar 28, 2011

What a fun poem! You have created some great images here!

Posted by Melissa on Apr 27, 2011

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