Memories store moments in time,
from the mundane to the sublime
replayed in silent pantomime:
within my mind.
I can recall leaning to crawl,
and how I would stumble and fall
banging my noggin on the wall;
as a toddler.
I remember some hurtful things,
like beatings or bumblebee stings
that draws tears, tugging at heartstrings;
from shadows past.
But I prefer snapshots of joy:
like when I was a little boy
and Santa would bring me a toy,
on Christmas morn.
I'd shimmy up trees way back then
when I was maybe nine or ten;
before I joined the world of men,
I loved the woods.
A storehouse for hyperbole
memories blur reality:
and so they cannot guarantee
accuracy.
9. Bear Thanks God
Never had mother who stayed by my side,
Or a father to touch me with pride, (1)
But it's true any day that I find time to play,
This boy's not my decision, but God's sweet provision.
Life seems to mean we all share joy and pain,
Risks we take sometimes challenge day’s grain,
But success that I've found seems to be quite profound,
For Boy tugging at heartstrings reveals Love real bearings.
Bear Johnston’s Comments:
(1) It seems miraculous but ‘Teddy Bears’ have no father or mother. They just are!
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.