Sunday, April 14, 2019

NPM19 - Day 14 - Learning



            Continuing with ideas from the book. This time, "Learning"

             Remember to share:


Tabatha Yeatts has created a link to poems teachers and librarians can print for poetry month, titled "Poetry in The Halls". I'm grateful to be one of the poets!

Jama Rattigan has a post HERE with many poets' goals for April.


The Progressive Poem schedule can be found on the right!




        I spent at least a week or more with my dear Aunt Barbara and Uncle Raymond every summer, from childhood to my teens. Those times hold a special place in my heart, from playing down at their creek, to swimming in the pond, many picnics, and for one spectacular week, this learning! The "we" is me and a niece of my uncle's, who became my college roommate, too.




something big’s coming

Together we bump the jeep
over the fields and dirt roads
of my uncle’s farm –
gleeful, filled with
fifteen going on sixteen.
We’re learning to drive.
We’re learning to drive his old army jeep;
groaning go the gears,
but smoother and smoother goes
the glide with the clutch.
We drive up to the house, 
wave at the younger cousins.
Our aunt won’t let them ride with us, yet.
Looking back, I understand
but we didn’t roll the jeep,
we just drove so much that week
we ran out of gas,
out by the cows.
They mooed at us as we walked by,
and we mooed back, and yelled
“We’re driving, we’re driving”
at the top of our lungs. 
You can do that in the country.
Back at the barn
we asked for the can,
to fill up again.
My uncle grinned and pointed.
The sun shone that last evening as 
we picnicked by the pond.
My aunt fed us dinner,
and her tasty chocolate cake,
just as my uncle had fed us  
the taste of freedom.

Linda Baie ©

6 comments:

  1. How wonderful. Can really feel your exuberance at driving that Jeep! The cows made me smile and the chocolate cake was the perfect ending.

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    1. My aunt made the most wonderful chocolate cake, had to sneak that in, too! Thanks, Jama.

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  2. Oh there is so much in here Linda - the joy and freedom at being able to drive and go where every you want, the treasure of cousins, the pleasure in all these simple things, like home made chocolate cake.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cheriee. It really was a special growing up.

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