childhood

the great thing about life is we get one
some might use it foolishly
most don't though, and that's what makes it awesome
you get to stay up late and watch "Jurassic Park", the first one
you learn J-ELLO is made out of bones
and you see your skills improve as you pass from grade-to-grade
"All the right type" and "Cross-country Canada"
Playing soccer on the field
Playing basketball on the court
you scrape your knee and cry to mom
and mom puts Polysporin on it
you catch snakes with your friends at Felkers Falls
the bell rings at 3:30
and you get your chips and pop ready for the next "Simpsons" episode
back when Coco was writing for it
Jub Jub and Who shot Mister Burns
Krusty could be Homer and Kodos and Kang laugh from above
music was simple, you play the recorder and teacher plays piano
the school has a play, Scrooge, and you're the ghost of the future
with his deep voice or munchkins in The Wizard of Oz
Dad's taking video from a popular camcorder you carried on your shoulders
and photographs that would have to be waved in the wind to see
you'd go knock on your friends door before texting was available
and you'd talk to your neighbours and learn French from a banana
gym class and dodge ball and the alleyoop
homeroom where you'd make paper airplanes and sit understood
crayons and pencil crayons then gel ink pens
class photo and your silly hair, missing teeth given to the tooth fairy
you'd believe anything
then snow would fall and you'd make angels with horns
jump off Joel's balcony to a pile of snow below
you were a little timid at first then you jumped straight as an arrow
wrestling matches and cross country running
report cards, where girls got As and boys got Cs
everyone was your friend and there was a peanut free table
Danny would draw masks for you to impersonate
my favorite was Richard Nixon and a bloated 4 more years, chin jangling
the spoon and the apple seemed such a mighty pair
learning how to ride a bicycle and how to swim and maybe dive
you'd jump in the pool and hold your nose
at Chidley's you could even jump off the roof
crushes on Leah and Kate and Joni, not so obvious but kisses in the park
my first kiss in a club on the stairs
she was 5 years old than me, and I went back and told my grade 3 friends
Nick drank yop and had a funny hairdo
teachers to teach, when curriculum was so simple
writing and reading with Mrs. G, not Garrison or Gramada but Gierrula
i developed my stories into an audience
we developed our own styrofoam in art
and Dickson called me a clown
not so far off so, I accept
donating for pizza day, and me in the corner or the white bench
in the principles office, day in day off
running through the fields back home
and pranks door to door, you even had chicken wings in the bar on the strip
you sung where you stood and you danced where you wanted
lazer tag for birthdays and the African Lion Safari
selling chocolates and UNICEF pennies as you go to each door
closing your eyes at the part in Freddy when he plays the skin like a marionette
Pocahontas Ticas and Diana L as a friend
my first date with Lisa, may she be in peace
the things we may have forgotten are still there in all our souls
they shaped us as people, and as friends and what we would behold
this happy time when we were all together
our lives move on
but we never ever forget the eternal bliss that was:

childhood, may its truth live on