Poetry

Part of Me

By Wallace - 22 January 08

The children are jumping rope here
Each skip on the sidewalk a heartbeat
A small girl drawing lines in chalk
Others play hide and seek

Soon our recess will be over
The bell will ring, we'll go back in
For another lesson to learn
We'll dream at the window
For summer's return

Time suspends in this instant
The loss of the innocent
A child falls down and gasps
The rest crowd around to stare
Teachers unaware
"Are you okay, what's the matter?"
Pale, the boy's hand grasps mine

I peer into his sad blue eyes
Confused, I don't understand in time
Silently I simply stand, see
Watch it all; part of me
Never to forget

Time must move onward, forward
Toward the mundane and plain
Memories in childhood
Bitter splashes on each page
So part of us all
Such pains in our past we recall
We grow up this way