At the end of the yard neath an old oak tree
There's a bench where you used to sit with me
We'd bring our dolls and dream up dreams
And drink fake tea with sweets and creams
As I sit there now in the warm Spring air
I'll dream up dreams of when we were a pair
At the end of the yard neath an old oak tree
There's a bench where you used to sit with me
We'd bring our dolls and dream up dreams
And drink fake tea with sweets and creams
As I sit there now in the warm Spring air
I'll dream up dreams of when we were a pair
At the end of the yard neath an old oak tree
There's a bench where you used to sit with me
We'd bring our dolls and dream up dreams
And drink fake tea with sweets and creams
As I sit there now in the warm Spring air
I'll dream up dreams of when we were a pair
SONG
a voice
melody
the record player
in my big brothers' room
magical seventy-eights
"my musical friend and savior"
My Childhood Friend
Greyhound buses
Always been intrigued
Starting at a very young age
Fond of animals
The Greyhound Bus trademark with the stretched hound caught my attention
I started buying toy Greyhound buses in keeping my interest alive
Enthusiasm extends into my adulthood
Still holds true today
Travelled numerous destinations on the Greyhound bus near and far
I have currently a vintage model bus collection comprising of 2,000 plus of toy Greyhound buses and many others
Domestic and International
Childhood memory
Roll on still intact.
Mom always called him my imaginary friend.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
Do you hear me now
It's too nice a day
I'm outside your window
I want to play.
Let's go to the arch
And dive off the side
Where the dragonflies march
And the water gets wide
We'll skip stones and compete
You're good, but I'll beat
We'll walk on a log
Find a turtle or a frog
We'll find a thrill in the mundane
Dad will take us to the water slide.
We'll go too fast, safe is too tame
But its stay on the sidelines or go for the ride.
I'll put a mouse in your shoe, but you'll get even with me
Just a practical joke, will be my plea
Revenge develops creativity
So you'll tie my sneakers up in a tree.
One day I'll be a fireman, you'll be a vet
We don't want to be kids till we're gray
Childhood's sun rises, Childhood's sun sets
Let's take it to the limit, then seize the day.
To her mother’s spanks,
let her cry on your tender shoulder,
oh, my toy Teddy.
Through all her sleepless nights,
lull her to deep sleep;
by her side remain steady.
When the weather burns hot,
soak her sweat away.
When cold wind whispers,
let your warmth be ever ready.
Though you are a toy,
be more than that to her.
If you had a tummy,
let her feed you, as if you live.
Though she dislikes your silver shade,
in the darkest nights,
let your brightness calm her fears.
Throughout her childhood,
even for a breath—never leave.
Remain her best friend;
though wordless, speak to her heart,
for only in your comfort she believes.
Such were the tender words of my aunt’s sermon
to my beautiful Eliza,
for she fulfilled each promise
made to Aunty Jane,
showering me with nothing but relief.
Joana, here I hand over to you Eliza,
from your grand aunt to you, my niece.
As she guided my childhood,
let her guide yours too.
Keep her clean, take good care of her.
As I hand her over to you,
one day hand her to your niece too—
a bond of comfort
that will outlive just us two.
we came up same building,
same busted elevator, same rumors in the walls —
three girls stacked on top of each other
like secrets whispered through radiator pipes.
6S - she’s half rican, half black,
but don’t call her half - she all attitude,
dark skin glowing when she laughs too loud,
hips slick like she dancing with nobody’s permission.
5E - 5’1 and built like a threat,
she got a stare that’ll stop you mid-lie.
she hate surprises, so we never sneak up -
she come knocking first if you do her wrong.
then me - 7N, freckles spread like stars on light skin,
red-brown hair tied up, book in my lap,
content to stay inside while they chase block heat.
they pull me out anyway - stoop nights, corner gossip,
big dreams that don’t always fit our pockets.
we so different it make no sense -
three girls shaped like soft rebellion,
like hard lessons, like love
that never needed no permission slip.
puberty tried to twist us up,
boys tried to break us open,
life threw her worst
and we just leaned closer -
me, yaphia, tarita - same building girls,
same busted elevator,
still going up.
MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND
(by Michelle L. LeBlanc 03/16/2025)
Dedicated to Connie Steeves
Our friendship goes way back
I believe we were in grade 3?
In our brown and beige uniforms
At Lower Coverdale Christian Academy
At first, I hung out with your sister
But little did I ever know
That we would become much closer
And our friendship would surely grow
I remember you and your family
Would always sit in the second pew
Little did I know at that time
All the trouble you were going through
Despite it all, you found your smile
And we certainly had lots of fun
Especially in our teenage years
At Messiah Youth Mission, we sung
You always loved me so dearly
And for that I will never forget
Friends didn't come so easy for me then
But on your friendship, I could bet
Though we lost touch throughout the years
I'm so happy we found each other again
Oh how I love you so much
My dear, Connie, my oldest childhood friend
And now I have to say goodbye
Your friendship I will surely miss
Please know how much I love you
As our memories we reminisce!
On my mothers’ group Zoom,
Six of us in the “room,”
We remember what we used to do
When our babies would cry
Or, asleep, how they’d lie
And what helped us, back then, to get through.
What made us reminisce
Was, with grandkids now, this –
Things are not done the same way today
And our children, all grown,
With some kids of their own,
Think that they know the only right way.
It’s amazing, as well
As annoying as hell
To be criticized rather than praised
When we add our two cents
And our kids take offense,
Since it wasn’t by wolves they were raised.*
In the future, I hope,
That our children can cope
With the new rules their own kids will set
And they’ll protest that, no,
That’s not how things should go!
As for us? Oh, they’ll quickly forget.
*Thank you, Harriet, for that line…
man and woman, earlier boy and girl
take a walk in the park
enlivened by the chirpy song of a lark
behold pure joy unfurl
childlike innocence frolics with delight
agendaless exuberance prevails
in the void, both lift soul’s sails
as they so embark on a wingless flight
I remember where the sidewalk ended
Next to where the old fan palm grew
That waved its many hands at me
As I walked home from school each day
And of course I always waved politely back
In childhood anything can be befriended
But even as a kid I knew
That wind, not wonder, moved the tree
Yet I named it Summer Heat Wave
And of course I still wave politely back.
Were I enamored by a pleasant fragrance,
like a magnet, I would draw sniffers to me.
If I were covered with filth, I would draw flies.
A profaned loud mouth would draw angry ears.
A childhood friend drew many girls to himself.
On the other hand, they showed no interest in me.
I inquired of him a reason for the difference.
He said, "Some guys have it; some guys don't".
To my annoyance, he never said what he had.
And I only knew that I did not have 'it'.
I think 'it' was some innate magnetism.
Perhaps he had no idea what 'it' was.
I only knew that magnetism was inside of him.
He didn't put 'it' there and couldn't give 'it' to me.
101222PSCtest, Our Innate Magnetism.
Unseeking Seeker
Taken by circumstances and not by dreams;
Blown by winds adrift on just any stream;
We grew up together and were the best of friends;
but after high school, he disappeared, drifted away.
Yanzi went with the flow, never planning where to go.
He did not care, and where he was headed, he didn't know.
Boarding a bus along the Mexico Gulf, he went north to Chicago.
A job here and there, he proceeded north to southern Wisconsin.
Yanzi's stay in dairy land was brief. So, he returned to Windy City.
Like drift wood, he floated from town to town. Home was where he roamed.
From the Mid-West Metropolis, Yanzi felt pulled to return to the Gulf. He
was never attracted to the eastern sea board, but the west came calling.
The years passed very fast; nothing would ever last; even Yanzi was aghast.
Now past his prime, never thriving; barely surviving in the city by the Bay.
Yanzi, quiet and easy, a loner and not even a dog he ever had since just a lad.
Up and down the Pacific coast for 30 years till finally, the drifter, Yanzi passed.
090822PS
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