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| Open Poetry #41 |
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Home (Patricias' Challenge) |
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Just another Pete Member
since 2007-12-06
Posts 74Scotland |
Home Behind our side-gate the world is taller, and so much longer than the path that leads from our back door past Mum’s flowers and the stone that hides a cave. A secret tunnel? …old cess pit covered by a slab, tried but couldn’t shift it being only three and five. Dad filled it in, a later disappointment. Beyond the veg around the apple tree endless dragsters, gunboats, spaceships, cars, made only from a table, two old tyres, a broken barrow, bits of wood, that sheet Dad used for painting, boxes and a length of iron pipe all launch successfully. Rise, speed off, or sail away on desert, sea or space adventure, first ascent of Everest, first flight, first everything, no failure here. Our bedtime stories tell of buried treasure, we decide to find some and dig a hole… Under the bonfire Dad’s still building for his big, weekly burn. Nine inches down, nothing yet; Mum’s lunchtime call brings us running but at the kitchen door, we’re stopped, stood too with our arms out. There are grumbles, as she tries to get the dirt off, about hosepipes and being too quiet; Brian turns green, I’m told to strip. A rabbit, by the apple tree! We’ll capture him, dig a hole, just like they do in Africa, cover it with grass and twigs. As morning ends we see that it’s not deep enough; a cardboard box might do, so after lunch we try one in the hole. Brian helpfully points out that most of it still shows, disguise is best one of our tyres fits over the box anyway we’re bored with digging holes. Still there's a concern: How will rabbit get to the top of the box to fall in? Some wood is found, we use it as a ramp, and ask Mum for a carrot. We cover the opening with twigs and a thin veil of grass; our carrot is carefully placed. Standing back, Brian worries, once Rabbit’s inside, he may be hungry or thirsty or both. We go back, another carrot and a small bowl of water go inside the box, all is well, this should last him the night. Twigs, grass and original carrot are carefully replaced. Dad comes to see, we explain about rabbit and how the trap works... The sky is grey, rain falls as drizzle and though both carrots disappeared we sit in the shed singing endlessly for Spain to take away its rain. There is neighbourly relief when we break and look up to see if enough blue shows for even half a sailor’s suit. There isn’t so instead we make a car under the shed’s work bench. Brian is thirsty, I find a rubber tube, and handily a pot with water in already, he sucks, splutters, spits, makes a face and looks sick. Today is rainy, the shed has a lock now, Dad’s hidden the key. Brian's “forgiven” me for the soapy water and the egg whites he had to swallow after the unfortunate paraffin incident. Trixie, our black Labrador, lies with Dinkie, Mum’s indifferent cat, in front of the Rayburn languidly watching fantastic cardboard cities rise, sprout monorails, high level roads, tunnels, suffer accidents, disasters, wars. Whole civilisations fall into lunchtime’s dark age, yet rebuild themselves through the afternoon to fall again, reluctantly, in time for tea. Bathtime's done, hair washing, soap in the eyes all forgotten as we sit by the fire till Mum, finger to her lips, calls us through to the kitchen and we watch from darkened windows as a hedgehog comes to eat. |
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| © Copyright 2007 Just another Pete - All Rights Reserved | |||
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TomMark Member Elite
since 2007-07-27
Posts 2133LA,CA |
simply beautiful and very warm. very good, very good. Tomtoo |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
A nice write...James |
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lucky Senior Member
since 2000-01-17
Posts 1601Idaho |
Hats off my friend... love the old country style... happy smile. lucky dale |
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Artic Wind Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 8080Realm of Supernatural |
Very nice write ARCTIC WIND |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
"Standing back, Brian worries, once Rabbit’s inside, he may be hungry or thirsty or both. We go back, another carrot and a small bowl of water go inside the box, all is well, this should last him the night." ~ So charming and compassionate. I can also sense the anticipation of a boy acquiring a new pet.  "as we sit by the fire till Mum, finger to her lips, calls us through to the kitchen and we watch from darkened windows as a hedgehog comes to eat." ~ Another Rockwellian picture you captured in word. I can sense the disappointment when the hedgehog came to eat. A hedgehog may not be as cuddly as a rabbit, but they are still cute in their own way. lol I enjoyed getting to learn about where you are from. Lovely write!  EA |
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