Those Summer Years of Youth

 Today’s Poetic Bloomings prompt? Write a “That Summer in ________” poem about a place that brings a fond (or otherwise) memory from summers past.

 I like prompts that crack open rusty, dusty vaults!
(for those who wonder...left to right: Carolyn, Marlene, Lewis, Gerald, Calvin, Lucy and Lisa(neighbor-'sister')

Leaf Mountain from Autumn years of youth

Our family was sort of divided into sections... 'the four oldest'(born in under four years:) 

then 'the three little girls and 'the three little boys'. This photo is 'the three little girls and the three little boys' plus a neighbour who was sort of an 'adopted sister' during those summer years of youth, because she was the youngest in a large family...

We thought Time was bondage

Those summer years of youth

It wasn’t until they were gone

We realized the truth

…those miles of corn we hoed

Those whiles we whiled away

Beneath the sprawling canopy

Of maple-willow sway

That swing in the hay-loft

Strung from the highest truss

Daring timid riders to brave

Its burlap Pegasus

…those childish tears we shed

Those chores that seemed so dull

Those chatter-jolly supper-times

When every plate was full

The monotone of clocks

The drone of heat-waved haze

Where boredom conceived building-blocks

And Mom, another babe

Those years before the years

That drew us from home’s doors

And we left without looking back

Oblivious to shores

Those brother-sister days

Of farm-life laugh-love-learn

They slipped through us, one-way freeways

To ports of no-return

We thought it was bondage

Those years before we flew

Away from the safe haven of

The only life we knew

© Janet Martin

I use the word 'bondage' lightly...the bonds of a loving childhood and a child full of dreams:)

Those were the years when we always had a baby in the family or had one on the way. 

Even after ten of us I remember we begged mom to 'please have some twins to round our numbers off to a nice dozen!' 

(as if mom was in charge of these thing:)

Plus, our wild imaginations envisioned a cheaper-by-the-dozen bookish romance of family.

Little did we realize the sacrifices our parents made on our behalf!

Sometimes, as I shake my head over how little youth realizes what it has…then I'm reminded of what once I didn't know!

Tomorrow we have a family reunion. 

Dad, Mom all ten of us 'children', 

our children and a few children's children...

I was going to post a 'guess which is me' pic.
The girls and I laughed as I posted it because, well...
That lunch pail lasted until well through elementary school!(I think I got new one in Gr. 7)  Mom drew then cut mac-tac letters for my name.
I don't have many 'me' pics...those must be home in mom's albums.
This is the 5 oldest Martin kids ready for school...
Cheryl Gr. 6, David Gr. 5, Janet Gr. 4, Stuart Gr. 3, Lucille Gr. 1.