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Poet Rhyme

Notes About The Poem

Originally published: 16th September 2020

Image: Dick and Dora with Nip The Dog / Facebook

This poem was placed 1st in the "Brian Strand 1- 14 line" contest sponsored by Brian Strand (Judged 9th September 2021)

My teacher, when I was 6 years old was Mrs. Kenyon. She died in September 2020 aged 98. This poem is dedicated to her and to the class of 67 / 68

Class Of '68

I remember 
so well 
the friends 
that I made
when childhood 
was wrapped 
in blue sky

but I cannot
remember 
the last time 
we played
 - and whether 
we all said 
goodbye.

childhoodgrowing uphigh schoolrhyme

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Kim Rodrigues

April 4, 2025 at 11:41 AM

Congrats! Wonder if we shall remember all of childhood (only the good) when we die. Congrats!

Gary Radice

April 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM

Who knows Kim? :). One thing I do know is that the long hot misty-eyed summers of childhood seem so long ago today. :). Thank you for your visit Kim. Cheers - Gary

Mark Toney

December 11, 2024 at 2:18 PM

Thank you for supporting my Flash Poetry Challenge, Gary. Your "Class of 67" brought back many memories for me. And like John, I love the line, "... when childhood was wrapped in blue sky."

Gary Radice

December 12, 2024 at 1:07 AM

Thank you Mark. Your Flash Poetry Challenge is a great concept. I particularly like it as it affords poets the opportunity to showcase their older poems. Many of the contests insist on new poems only and as a result there are many works by poets here that get missed. I hope there are more such challenges to come. Thanks again. Cheers - Gary

Vince Suzadail Jr.

July 24, 2024 at 11:27 AM

Sweet memories. Mine was Class of 64. Keep writing. You have a rare talent.

Gary Radice

July 24, 2024 at 12:26 PM

Thanks for your visit and great comments Vince. Much appreciated. Cheers - Gary

John Watt

April 12, 2022 at 3:26 PM

Gary, I am most struck by the phrase "childhood was wrapped in blue sky". This describes my childhood perfectly. I wish it had occurred to me much earlier to seek out those teachers, coaches, or parents of friends who made it their goal to teach, protect, feed, and provide activities for the likes of me. It becomes all the more poignant when we become aware someone has passed away and I end up telling their children how much their father or mother meant to me. To have a friend that you have known since childhood that endures well into middle age and beyond is a real gift. I love what you wrote here and the photograph you included, I truly enjoyed this... thank you ~ John

Gary Radice

April 13, 2022 at 8:02 AM

Thanks John. I remember so much from my school days. I look back now and remember the great times. I often wonder where every one is today and get a little sentimental about the times. Thanks for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Cheers - Gary

Brian Strand

October 4, 2021 at 1:10 AM

Nostalgia Gary...ever the same ..only the dates change(there is a mine of poetry awaiting thereun)

Gary Radice

October 4, 2021 at 3:53 AM

You are so right Brian. PS: The guy with an arm sling on the front row went on to create the Kids' TV show "The Tweenies". Cheers - Gary

Christuraj Alex

August 11, 2021 at 4:51 AM

Wow. Great! Congratulations on your win!

Gary Radice

August 11, 2021 at 6:15 AM

Hi Christuraj! Thanks for the 'Wow' :) I'm glad you like it. Cheers - Gary

Constance La France

March 2, 2021 at 3:14 PM

Gary, congratulations on your win in Carolyn's contest with this excellent poem _Constance

Gary Radice

March 2, 2021 at 11:36 PM

Thank you Constance.

Terry Flood

March 2, 2021 at 1:12 PM

Smashing write Gary. Almost a page from my own schooldays. Congrats on your placement. Terry

Gary Radice

March 2, 2021 at 1:24 PM

Cheers Terry - Much appreciated.

Carolyn Devonshire

March 1, 2021 at 11:38 AM

I didn't even go to my last class reunion because those closest to me in high school either died or just didn't care to attend. Such situations leave us wondering if we said goodbye and let these friends know how much they meant to us. Nice writing, Gary. Congratulations on a second place in the contest! Best wishes, Carolyn

Gary Radice

March 1, 2021 at 11:46 AM

Thank you Carolyn for the placement and for hosting the great competition in the first place. Cheers - Gary :)

David Kavanagh

January 15, 2021 at 4:57 AM

So good Gary, simplicity sometimes brings out the best emotions, brilliant poem The photo actually has me trying to remember the names of my old school buddies, I still meet quite a few of them now and then, cheers David

Gary Radice

January 15, 2021 at 5:40 AM

Thanks David. I'm glad you like it. I knew what I wanted to say but had difficulty putting it together and then..the words just flowed. For me it captures those long hot summers of the school classroom, field and playground. Cheers - Gary

Old Buck

November 26, 2020 at 2:05 PM

Gary: Well done. I'd be the kid in the middle of the first row. Short pants and no smile. A few years ago I tried to look up all 27 class mates. Found most but won't try again. Most were uninterested and that was disappointing to me. Oh. Well. Time marches on. Thanks for sharing a wonderful moment in your past with all of us on the soup. oldbuck

Gary Radice

November 27, 2020 at 1:55 AM

Thank you Old buck. I often view life as a series of chapters and the misty eyed long hot summer chapters of childhood seem to have existed in some other world. Sorry to hear about your disappointment. I'm sure after half a century I too would be met with the same response by a majority of my ex school friends. People eh? Cheers - Gary

Lonna Blodgett

October 12, 2020 at 8:27 AM

So love your work!

Gary Radice

October 12, 2020 at 10:05 AM

That's very kind of you to say so Lonna. One year in to PS and there are several themes that keep cropping up in my work - and not always intentionally. The naivety of childhood versus the reality of adulthood is certainly one of them. :)

Sara Kendrick

September 22, 2020 at 6:56 AM

Congrats on your winning work. Sara

Gary Radice

September 22, 2020 at 7:01 AM

Thank you Sara - it's appreciated.

Andrea Dietrich

September 19, 2020 at 10:31 AM

this is wonderful. Is it in the current contest. I hope it wins. I have a similar picture from around early 60's grade school!!

Gary Radice

September 19, 2020 at 11:45 AM

Hi Andrea! Thank you for your great comments and encouragement. This poem got an HM in a recent competition which I was very happy about. When it comes to PS competitions, I just love the ride.

Regina Mcintosh

September 19, 2020 at 5:36 AM

WOW. This is a incredible write. I absolutely LOVE it. It's a fave. God bless you dear friend and fellow poet.

Gary Radice

September 19, 2020 at 11:41 AM

Hello Regina and thank you very much for your lovely comments. The poems that are personal to me, I find, are the easiest to write.

Richard Lamoureux

September 18, 2020 at 2:43 PM

This is perfect. You were a cute kid. Thanks for your visit and comment.

Gary Radice

September 18, 2020 at 2:49 PM

Thanks Richard. :)

Eve Roper

September 17, 2020 at 6:26 PM

I really like that you wrote about your class when you were young... We tend to forget those years or I did. Maybe because we moved around a lot.

Gary Radice

September 18, 2020 at 1:21 AM

Thanks Eve! I can name everyone on the photo from memory 54 years on...Yet I have difficulty remembering the names of my neighbours :)

Sam Kauffman

September 16, 2020 at 4:15 PM

Plaintive write, Gary! Your well chosen, well crafted words, are as succinct as the memories of the friend's faces passing through my mind! A great thought to ponder now and in the future.

Gary Radice

September 17, 2020 at 12:30 AM

Sam, yes. There were smiles from me at first but they were then followed by waves of sadness looking at this photo. "Where are they now?" The sunny naive world of childhood seems the very long time ago that it was. :)

Ilene Bauer

September 16, 2020 at 1:45 PM

beautifully expressed, gary, and having the picture just adds to the enjoyment...

Gary Radice

September 16, 2020 at 1:54 PM

Hello Ilene. Thank you very much for your lovely comments. Cheers- Gary

Daniel Turner

September 16, 2020 at 10:24 AM

Gary, this is an exceptional piece. I too wonder, at times, about all of the friends I had in my youth. I know a lot of them have already passed on but i think my Sr class was 100+. I know we never said goodbye.

Gary Radice

September 16, 2020 at 10:33 AM

Hi Daniel. Thank you very much for your comments. This is actually a poem I published on P.S. some time back but deleted, rewrote and the result is what you read now. I'm happier with it now. It's more of a personal piece. Cheers - Gary

Jan Allison

September 16, 2020 at 10:02 AM

aww what a poignant piece Gary ... how life moves on at a pace and i wonder how many of your classmates are around too. hugs jan xx

Gary Radice

September 16, 2020 at 10:12 AM

Thanks Jan! :) I keep in touch with 2 people on the photo via Facebook. I also know that the guy on the front row wearing the arm sling went on to invent the UK kids' TV show "The Tweenies" :) Sadly the girl to the right of him as we look died of leukemia at the age of 17.

Class Of '68

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