When just a young’un

free of care and worry

the Reunion held 

joys and excitement

 

slipping on the couch

vacated by Gramps

stealing precious minutes

of sleep before the day

 

breakfast at the Restaurant

Granny at the grill

familiar faces watched

impromptu singing and dancing

 

a trip down the street

Dad’s Mom and Dad

childish disregard thought

stifling and dull without cousins

 

Pavilion fills between two family homes

elders jawing, women gossiping

an afternoon stop

for a quick bite

 

readiness grows for dark

lights and shrieks of

laughter, joy, music, arguments

line dance seamlessly across thoughts

 

Time to go

as cars, family and stranger

use the driveway 

as a parking lot

 

crowd mills, lines form

a thrown rock

hits two relatives

before the ground

 

a girl catches my eye

Want to go on the Spider?

we rise and fall, twirl and laugh

a lifetime together in a moment

 

 time to go

tired protests fall

on deaf ears

time for bed

 

a coon’s age

has passed, blurring

memories into legend

half-remembered truth

 

Gramps’ Restaurant closed

weeds and trees 

claiming childhood feelings

of home and love

 

cousins have grown

scattered, changing

one small town from

friendly to stranger

 

little left of what 

I remember, but

I do remember fine

that I had a big time

 

This poem is for dVerse’s Meeting the Bar: Hearth, Home and Common Speech. From dVerse: Today’s challenge is to search for a new poem, uniquely you — using the words you might say to a neighbor or friend, keeping it familiar and seeking to make it distinctly you, about you, in your vernacular. I think by now you know to post your poem on your blog, copy that blog link below on Mr. Linky, read and comment on your fellow poets and enjoy.

This is my take on the challenge. Hope you enjoy! Head on over to read some great poets and, what the heck, make one of your own and join in the fun.

Happy Reading and Writing!

J. Milburn