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Kicking Rocks

I remember kicking rocks
On the way to school
Looking down, thinking
I should remember what this is like
Being a kid
It might be interesting later
I squeezed my eyes
And pinned the spot
A shiny red tac on a crisp blank map
So many ways from here to there
Somewhere
A hero waited
I was going to be brave

But the words they taught me
Such helpless tools
I knew even then
As I wrote the shaky letters down
In front of the class
With all my focus
My love was deeper than this
And I wanted to tear the world down
With my tiny hands

Now
I write too much for love
My friends say
Don’t use the word itself
In a poem, that’s too easy
But all the twists
All the rhymes and verse
Calculated, contrived
Words
Trying to trace a story somewhere else
They all lead back to me
Just thinking of you
Or crying for that kid

Still
Where else to go?
To meet the infinite
And try to touch you
To find you
I’ve got 26 keys to tap
To scratch a ring around my being
And play the role I write
But the ragged old story hurts to carry
Red lines everywhere
Why can’t you just see me?
Without the words

I was only made to grip and move
Kick in doors
Tap the table top
Ride home with the dragons head
And a pile of gold
Not show you my soul
I don’t even know where I came from
But I came with something
I didn’t decide on
And it might be beautiful
Maybe
Maybe you can show me
Show me before I wash away

It’s getting late
And this damn rotten skin is no good
But it’s the only place I got
The snakes are swimming hard
But I’m tough as steel
I’ll just swim harder
And keep reaching for my hammer
Day after day
With a frozen mouthful
Of useless words

I would have made a better cave man
A good man
A good cave man hunting
And protecting you
Because
I love you
I really do
There I said it, and that’s that
Damn the rules
In a poem
Close the page, drop the pen
Let’s go outside and walk
Down to our spot by the river

Ill hold on, and on
To your hand
But
No one is there
Just me
Kicking rocks on the side of the road
Thinking of the ways from here to there
Backwards now
To my shiny red pin
We sit like book ends
Me and that kid
Pushing hard against what could have been
Not even a proper witness
To note the waste
Just words that missed
All wrong
Blank pages
Waiting for the perfect story

Review Request (Direction): 
What did you think of my title?
How was my language use?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Is the internal logic consistent?
Editing stage: 

Comments

I wasn't expecting that! Man, that was good! I know, a lot of exclamation points, but; WOW! I think hat this is the best that I have read of you. Nothing to criticize. You said it so well. ~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

I was feeling kind of exposed with this one so its really a relief to get that kind of feedback. Thank you so much Geezer!
Captain

author comment

if this is what exposing yourself does for the reader, then you should do it more often. [Just remember to keep your pants on]. I like that you went from childhood to adult kicking the rocks and turning them over. Really gives the reader something to think about. Nice work. ~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

haha! okay, ill keep the pants on for sure! Thanks again for the nice compliment, glad you get this one.

author comment

Hope now you are kicking on the rocks
thanks for reading my candles
still burning

thinking of you or crying for that kid" excellent..........'nuff said

ya, that line was kind of important to me. Thanks for reading!

author comment

this is the kind of poetry that
reminds me why I'm here ...
I've read it once, this is one I'll come
back to when I need a smile, a push into
the warmth of poetry.

Thanks for sharing with us !

thank you moonman! It really is nice to know anyone is reading your work. I appreciate your comment very much.

author comment
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