Landmarks From Childhood Out of Order

Landmarks From Childhood Out of Order David J Walker Perhaps it was just the random remembrance of landmarks From a childhood well past Retracing steps made in snow as if They had no better place to go although Every day was easy and arrived with its own adventure In Summer we sunbathed on the Crowded shores of Towne Lake Mother warned of burning The Autumn air was filled with the Twentieth Century smell of smoke From the front yard mountains of burning leaves on every block I had forgot the name For the scent of rain By the time Spring came round again The first year of High School Overwhelmed with the Fear of being the first of the last and lost The beige tiled hallways had A history spanning its own eternity of teachers and names Of forgotten students Mrs. Beards Kindergarten class Taught everyone to tie their shoes To know their colors and count to 100 Junior High was an awkward Pimple fest But the worst was dyslexia and Puberty attacking in a two-front war On my misplaced adolescent identity Was there a better day to be born With a different date Was there a year when I would Better fit in I remember an assembly in elementary school That father attended He said nothing but I was so happy To sit beside him I remember a western festival in high school That father came to He was smiling though at 16 I felt obligated To ignore him I remember Field Day the last day of the 6th grade before the summer of Jr High I remember the disappointment of the girl who Would only date boys of her own religion I remember her dropping out to have a baby I remember someone walked me to my first day of class in kindergarten It might have been my Mother