We who with songs beguile your pilgrimage / And swear that Beauty lives though lilies die, / We Poets of the proud old lineage / Who sing to find your hearts, we know not why ... (James Elroy Flecker)

17.4.18

Remembering Games of My Childhood

Poetry Month, day 16




















Remembering Games of My Childhood

My Grandpa taught me cribbage,
a complex game for two. 
All I remember now
is putting tiny pegs 
in rows of tiny holes
on a narrow, rectangular board.

What I really remember, still, 
is those long, quiet talks, 
heads bending close. 
He taught me many things 
besides the game; never 
treated me as just a kid.

Uncle Ian taught all us kids
how to play Chinese Checkers, 
around the dining table. 
I loved the strong colours
of the round balls, and loved the big 
six-pointed star we jumped them across.

Checkers was a noisy game
with lots of laughter. After that I never 
could properly learn chess, later;
kept wanting to take all the pieces fast. 
Uncle Ian treated us exactly like kids.
Both ways were good, I remember.


Image Public Domain


For It's All Fun and Games at "imaginary garden with real toads"

3 comments:

  1. This is beautiful!💜 I guess as children we deserve some amount of worldly wisdom... love the contrast between cribbage and checkers!💜

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fond memories of Chinese Checkers - the one game my mother would play.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Grandparents are always so good when it comes to passing on the games we keep wit us as we go, aren't they?

    Not so long ago, my in-laws started teaching the Little Princess how to play cribbage. :-)

    ReplyDelete

DON'T PANIC IF YOUR COMMENTS DON'T POST IMMEDIATELY. They are awaiting moderation. Please allow for possible time difference; I am in Australia. ALSO, IF YOU ARE FORCED TO COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY – do add your name at the end, so I know it's you!