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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Millstone Creek

Bridge from the Go Out and See series - Walter Smith


My best memories
Are wrapped up
In the summertime haze
Of Grandpa’s farm,
The rickety old barn,
The swirling waters
Of  Millstone Creek,
And you.

I remember the summer
I turned ten,
Our shoes and socks
Strewn on the bank,
Jeans rolled up to our knees
As we waded into
That cool Appalachian water,
Plastic cups in hand,
Chasing silvery-black minnows
Darting between our legs
And collecting them
In a bucket
To be used as bait
For larger targets later.
Afterward we lay in the grass
And painted our innocent dreams
Across the mountain sky
With the fearlessness
That only the young possess.

I returned the summer
I turned sixteen,
And more than just
Our shoes and socks
Ended up on the bank
As I waded back
Into those swirling waters
And into your arms,
Emerging a little less innocent
And lost in the first spark of love.
The promises we made
Lying in the grass
Fluttered around us
Like a thousand fireflies
Lighting the evening sky,
Promises we never realized
We could not keep.

Summer after summer passed,
But I never returned
To the farm,
To Millstone Creek,
Or to you.
Life has swept me up
In its swirling waters,
Altering my memories,
Fading the colors
Into shadowy remnants.
If I had just one wish,
I’d travel back down
That quiet country road,
Back to Millstone Creek,
Back to your arms,
Back to the promise
My heart never forgot.

12 comments:

Brian Miller said...

wow this is a great piece mary...ah love how you progressed and stepped us through your tale...and the close is perfect...the promises never forgotten...bug smiles.

Anonymous said...

oh, I love this! How you detail two such different experiences from innoncence to the loss of innocence, per se. and then the longing to return to the scene of that first love. a wonderful story that I truly enjoyed! thank you.

kaykuala said...

This is beautiful Mary! A return to the past, a glimpse of youthful endeavor. To relive the good times and a desire to keep to the promises made when in the throes of love. Many can relate to this I'm sure!

Hank

Claudia said...

oh wow mary..like this a lot...the childhood memories and then the budding love that never came to bloom but still lives on after so many years...you painted some magic into my sunday morning..thank you..

Laurie Kolp said...

Mary- I really enjoyed this... the memories from 10 to 16 and the lasting effects... just lovely.

Grace said...

What a lovely tale of childhood memories, first love and loss of innocence, then the melancholy write. There are some bridges we left behind, and some bridges we will always remember. Beautiful ~

JANU said...

Nice memories portrayed vividly.

Unknown said...

Dam...I'm not one to shed tears but this truly did that to me. It yanked out feelings and desires I've had buried deep inside for years.The tone,your phrasing...all perfect. Great way to take a stroll down memory lane!

Mariya Koleva said...

Mary, this is an awesome poem! Such sweet memories of childhood, and then, gradually, so bitter awareness of reality now. Yet, even with sadness, childhood and first "forever" love is always sweet to remember. You brought tears to my eyes.
Thanks for writing it! I'll visit again. How come I found you so late, and I've been hanging out with poets for over a year now ;-)

Tracy Crenshaw said...

Beautiful poem. So sweet and melancholy. It swept me up, and broke my heart a little. Absolutely lovely!

booguloo said...

Beautiful Mary. I remember making those same promises.

Rinkly Rimes said...

What a beautiful poem. It contains all the world's nostalgia.