Just kids in the summer of '69, we -
Rob and Dave (brothers) and me - planned it out
Stay up all night
24 hours
Flashlights, transistor radio, sleeping bags
Under the stars
Head up
On a hill
An amazing, different world from the daytime version
that was so tame
This was wild, scary, solitary,
stained with inky darkness,
strange sounds, flashes, premonitions
unknown
We were 12-year old adventurers in our own backyards
Like young men sleeping in jungle beds
fighting a war on the other side of the world
We were brave, too
Grounded in the ordinary
Tuning in WIXY-1260 to hear Dylan
sing about a big, brass bed
We lay on the side of my small hill
Our only connection to others
through that scratchy transistor
while we floated on our magic carpets
looking into the depths of untold worlds
accessible only through our wide open eyes
and unbroken imaginations
PLOPP!
Something fell from the sky
Hit near us
All I could find was a hickory nut
PLOPP!
Again
Shagbarks, I said
That wasn't enough for Rob
Could be enemies
I never saw Rob cry before
His mom met him and Dave at their back door
I rolled up my bag
Tiptoed through my silent house
Contemplating the meaning of "Lay, Lady Lay"
©Eusebeia Philos 2013
Inspired in the last hour by Mining the Memory - dVerse Poets Meeting at the Bar
Photo courtesy of HubbleSite
hahaha...i had similar adventures...too fun...and outside at night all the sounds could be something...you never know...we might be visited by aliens...smiles..
ReplyDeleteWasn't it such fun! It seems like a different world so long ago. But of course, it is. Thanks for your visit, Brian.
DeleteI like the story you're telling here. It did make me want to go find a dark hill where my kids and i could camp and look at the sky. I also like the subtle "coming of age" bit at the end where the speaker contemplates Dylan. Realy nice.
ReplyDeleteHi, Heidi. Yeah, really it was a sense of freedom sleeping outside, within a hundred feet of your own bed. At 12 years old in 1969, the bubblegum pop and Motown music were easier to enjoy. I appreciated Dylan more and more as I matured. Thanks for taking the time to read my memory.
Deletenice... brought back some memories...we fought so hard for allowance to stay outside in a tent all night...but then...the sounds and darkness...and all you know so well looks so strange suddenly...we gave up as well...smiles
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claudia. Yes, my children anticipate sleeping out, making all the preparations, setting up the tent, and then they too end up back inside the house. Funny.
Delete..part of childhood...staying up all night ...outdoors..fun.and scary..great write!
ReplyDeleteIt does seem to be a rite of passage, doesn't it katy. Every child needs to experience it at least once. Thanks.
Deleteour minds can make fear feel very real. night is always an adventure.
ReplyDeleteAs it nearly always is, the battle is in our minds. So true, Lucy. Thank you for reading and your comment.
DeleteThis was fun....I really enjoyed details and you took me with you there ~
ReplyDeleteFunny how when reality intrudes in our childhood fantasies, we go right back to home ~
Nice to meet you as well ~
Yes, Grace, we really go back to safe places when threatened. Better yet when the 'threats' turn out to be humorous when seen through our older, mature eyes. Thanks for your kind words.
DeleteSmiles. Seems to be a universal experience. My friend Carol and I did the same (on a hill) until her brother and his buddies scared us by sneaking up and banging pie pans. Loved your account!
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria. You can always count on brothers for a good startle! I know, I've done it enough times. Thanks for the visit. So glad you liked my little account.
DeleteLove the memory. How brave we thought we could be as children, and the random contemplation that cropped up unexpectedly. Great fun!
ReplyDeleteHey Susie. I always seem to have those contemplations pop up in all circumstances - even at a young age! I've been told I think too much. I guess that's why I majored in philosophy. Good to hear from you again. Thanks.
DeleteThat must have been quite the outing, even if it was in the backyard. Well written.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Renee. Yes, it was quite an outing. Even after so many years it has left strong memories and impressions.
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