Notes About The Poem

1/21/2025 for New Voices Poetry Contest sponsored by Regina Mcintosh

A Child Again

Deadlines, responsibilities
Cubicles, liabilities
Dour adulthood, I did attain 
Alas, to be a child again 

It was once easy to have fun 
Racing on grass under the sun
We would find ways to entertain
Alas, to be a child again 

Our moms said, "put your raincoats on"
Embracing water like a swan
And singing songs out in the rain
Alas, to be a child again 

Imagination gave us wings
We became princesses and kings
And precious fantasy would reign
Alas, to be a child again 

Kicking stones to school every day
I knew each flower on the way
To linger on that country lane
Alas, to be a child again 

Glancing shyly, her long blonde braids, 
A memory that never fades,
To only see my smiling Jane,
Alas, to be a child again 

Now, bones don't move so well. They ache. 
Falling apart, too much to take
Soon, I'll be walking with a cane
Alas, to be a child again 

The everlasting search for truth,
And that cagey fountain of youth -
Why must it always be in vain?
Alas, to be a child again 

I have been fortunate indeed 
Into my dotage, I recede
I can't but think, as life does wane
Alas, to be a child again
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025


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Date: 2/26/2025 4:58:00 AM
Congratulations on a well-deserved win. "A Child Again" is a wonderfully nostalgic and deeply relatable poem that beautifully captures the universal longing for the carefree days of childhood. You've skillfully used simple language and vivid imagery to evoke a sense of warmth and longing, creating a poem that is both comforting and poignant.
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David Crandall
Date: 2/26/2025 9:04:00 AM
Wow, really nice comments, thank you Joel!
Date: 2/22/2025 10:15:00 AM
Love this one. Congrats and God bless you, love, Gina
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David Crandall
Date: 2/22/2025 11:55:00 AM
Thanks so much Gina!
Date: 1/21/2025 12:55:00 PM
Well said. I can see myself in this poem. I like the Alas, to be a child again at the end of each stanza.
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David Crandall
Date: 1/21/2025 7:38:00 PM
Thanks! Did you ever see that old Twilight Zone episode "Kick the Can"? I think of that.
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