While playing some games with my son this weekend I had a chance to reflect on some of the games I played as a child, as well as some of the ways I amused myself when there were no friends to play with me. I was fond of Pick-Up Sticks, Tiddlywinks, and Jacks. I coveted my brother's Battling Tops and my sister's Mystery Date. When I was outside I loved hopscotch, my pogo stick, jumping rope, and blowing bubbles.I'm sure if I set my mind to it, I could come up with other games I enjoyed, and I'll bet you can too. So, your challenge this week is to write about a favorite game or pastime from childhood. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.
*Image courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503155381@N01/
Jacks
ReplyDeleteI was no Jill at Jacks,
tumbling gracelessly down a hill.
Instead I swiped the little iron-legged tokens
with a quick hand, snagged the ball,
was on to the next round with hardly a wasted motion.
Champion of my camp, of my elementary school,
I privileged jacks over real boys,
keeping my winning streak going
until my first kiss the summer I was thirteen.
The next time I played jacks
was with my own children
who could sit on the floor with an ease
I scarcely remembered.
The last time was at a conference,
with two women friends,
one of whom brought her own jacks and ball
in a velvet drawstring bag.
We sat on the hotel floor
watched over by conference attendees.
They cheered us equally.
But two of us lost.
We lost big.
Never play pool with anyone
who owns his own cue stick, Daddy had warned.
It’s true in jacks as well.
c 2009 Jane Yolen all rights reserved
Jane, I love your father's advice returning to you now, the images and changing stories of jacks through your life, "I was no Jill at Jacks"...
ReplyDeleteOuija Board
My hands hover over
hoping for hints.
Who will I love someday?
I close my eyes.
I hold my breath.
What will the Ouija say?
Letter-by-letter
my future is told.
Word-by-word
her secrets unfold.
For me to make true.
For me to blame.
Ouija board –
Truth?
Or game?
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, 2009
I wrote two poems this week. One is about my favorite childhood activity, which I am classifying as a game:
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, breath.
Out of the breath, worlds.
I watch a universe take shape,
Dancing the music of the spheres.
Such possibilities ripple across these tiny worlds,
Shimmering with opal reflections.
What gardens bloom here? What creatures walk these lands?
I could scry forever into these crystal balls.
But Shiva dances his fiery dance
Even in lands that know only air and water,
And I become the destroyer of my own worlds,
Bringing oblivion
With a pop!
I posted the second on my blog.
Thanks for this stretch, Tricia. It brought back so many memories, I wrote two:
ReplyDeletePOGO STICK
Up
down
hopping around
how many times
can I go-go?
Up
down
hopping around
zillions of times
on my pogo.
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO
One potato
two potato
three potato four
rang around our yard
on chilly
autumn days
in our northern
Jersey neighborhood.
Fists held tight
we’d huddle in a circle
ready-or-not to play
the next round of
hide and seek
all wondering
who would
be IT.
Tapping fist to
chin and other
eager fists
it turned out
only
the potato
knew
for sure.
Mine's posted at my blog Across the Page. It's called "Boggle Dreams."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.acrossthepage.net/2009/11/18/poetry-stretch-games/
Thanks for stimulating fun memories.
Janet
Rope
ReplyDeleteSkit skat
Paddywhack
One foot, four;
Jump rope,
Turn twice,
Holler for more!
Double Dutch,
Never such,
Ever such rhyme;
One foot,
Two foot,
Four feet time.
Hold hands,
Back to back,
Shake it sweet;
Whip round,
Skip down,
Don’t miss a beat!
Turning,
Turning
The rope goes round --
Faster,
Faster, that
Whirring sound
Touch down
Turn around
Back against the wall
Oh, no!
Caught a toe
Trip then fall
Jump rope stall.
Get up
Dust off
That’s how you learn
Once more
Jump back
One more turn
Turn once
Turn twice
Count each leap
Skip day
Skip night
Skip in your sleep
Skit skat
Paddywhack
One foot, three
Inside a
Jump rope’s
The place for me.