Poetry and Friend from Childhood

I have known Trudi most of my life. Our brothers were born days apart and we were destined to know each other. I can't really remember if it was Sunday School, church, or Little League games that first brought us together. We shared many experiences and memories growing up in Kellogg. One of the biggest reasons I love Facebook is because I have reconnected with friends like Trudi. She has shared other poetry on her Facebook Notes and I was pleased to read this one the other day. She gave me permission to share it today. Yesterday I wrote about word choice. When I read this poem words that Trudi used reminded me so much of my childhood. Also her arrangement of the words just works so well. Thank you Trudi for allowing me to add your poem to my collection for National Poetry Month.

 

fingerpainting in the sky

  with blades of grass for fingers

    and Lifesavers for paints.

a canvas stretches from 'over yonder'

  to the 'other side of the tracks',

 touches butterscotch toadstools

   and wintergreen lillypads,

surrounds the Smiths, the Jones' and the Kennedy's,

   challenges Alice in Wonderland

     from the smile on the Cheshire Cat.

sculpting in the backyard

   with flower petals for tools

     and Hershey bars for clay.

Plymouth Rock as the base

   includes New York and Hawaii.

 Grass skirts sway in the breeze,

   and hide the bronze beauty and the leopard.

figurines of the Lone Ranger,

    Clark Kent and Captain America,

mesmerize lemon meteorites

   and licorice planets.

sketching in the night

   with wheat stalks for charcoal

     and vanilla ice cream for paper.

an Irish Setter as the subject,

   a cinnamon roll of beauty,

 races with sunshine

    and trolley cars,

wags his tail for apricot butterflies

    and maybe for sugar lumps.

worshipped by Mickey Mouse

   and Porky Pig.

and the artist puts away

    his watercolors.

 holds his breath,

   and steps into dusk

     with his jawbreakers.

by Trudi Brown