Meet me by the tree, the one from my youth
Days spent climbing, swinging, longing, dreaming
Yellow Jackets and an occasional sting
Long summer days that never seem to end
Fireflies dancing, leading my way home
Bike rides and paper route
I kissed someone once, for the first time
I wonder if she remembers me
Cornfields on one side, apple trees on the other
I never liked baseball, but played anyway
Because that’s what we did back then
With summer days
Down by the river, the current took its toll
Those black waters could swallow anything
Including that moment, the last of my innocence
Sure, there were more days, but it wasn’t the same
The fields burned, the trees bore blackened fruit
Someone stole my bike, days grew shorter
And that tree, now looks so small
No need to climb anymore, I could reach up
Touch the top if I wanted to
But can’t think of a single reason
Why I should

Great poem and if true great memories River !!
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Thanks, James.
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You are welcome River.
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Completely whisked off into a nostalgic and youthful dimension with this one. Incredible 💯
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I appreciate that, thank you.
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“the current took it’s toll”, this is beautifully nostalgic River.
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Thank you very much.
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My pleasure!
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Such vivid imagery. Transported me right back there.
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Thank you.
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What a beautiful poem of times past. I have been thinking about this too lately. I guess the return of summer brings this on
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Thank you very much for reading.
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Love the winter/present transition.
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Thank you.
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you’re welcome
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Great poem. Love the line: “Those black waters could swallow anything
Including that moment”
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I appreciate you reading, thank you.
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That was great! I love the poems that take me back to the more interesting moments.
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I appreciate that, thank you!
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It inspired me to repost a story I wrote awhile back…
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I just saw that. I remember the story, it is really good.
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Thanks, man… 🙂
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You’re welcome.
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Beautiful! Took me back to images from my own childhood and how bittersweet it is to grow up.
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Thank you very much.
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A wonderfully evocative and lyrical look back at those halcyon days of youth, and then you intrigue us with a darker turn. There’s another film here, River. You’ll have to write a sequel to this anyway River, I want to know more! 🙂
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I really appreciate that, Alli, thank you.
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Ahh such wonderful nostalgia of bygone days! I wonder how many of us have a special tree or trees that features vividly in our childhoods? I have several, but remember the one with a thick rope tied to a large bough. We’d take it in turns to swing over an old deep Second World War bomb crater (or so I was told) for hours..or so it seemed!
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A bomb crater, that sounds scary.
Thank you very much for reading, Debbie.
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Luckily, it was many years after the war that we played there, River. The late 1960’s early 1970’s so it was covered in grass/mud & trees..the perfect haven for children to play. I’m pretty sure it had been part of parkland already, so no damage to housing or people, as far as I know, thankfully.
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Ahh, that makes sense. I was picturing you kids swinging out over a deep hole.
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Haha! We were quite safe, well, fairly safe! 😃
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I wish I could articulate, in this moment, the swirl of emotions and thoughts this brought to me. Suffice it for now to say, this is wonderful. Those last lines are actually what is really holding my attention. The backdrop set before us and then those last lines…. have got me thinking too deeply to even express myself properly right now. So good, River. So, so very good.
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Thank you, Tara.
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I love this longing for past days in your poems, River. They flow so smoothly, like the river.
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Thank you very much, Bojana.
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Fabulous, River
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Thank you, Rita.
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My pleasure.
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What an earth shaking close…it makes an excellent poem a masterpiece.
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Thank you so much for the kind words.
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This takes me back through many years ago… jc
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Thanks for reading, JC.
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I gotta ask: Your poems are poignant and romantic; however, your short stories are bloody and morbid. My question is, have you found psychiatric help?
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Oh, well, you know, I had one tied up in the basement for a spell, but truth be told, he wasn’t much of a listener.
Hmm, maybe I should try again . . . Thanks for the motivation!
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Such a wonderful ending …liked the touch of “romantic story” in the middle haha
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Thanks, Ray.
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Nice! I liked the shift in mood towards the end, so true of childhood memories.
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Thanks so much, Sharon.
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even fond memories are better left alone
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Wise words.
Thank you for reading, Mark.
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Love the texture of this poem and the memories it elicits. The ending struck me as a little dark, but, in truth, perhaps, adulthood and a loss of innocence. Great work!
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Thank you, Kevin.
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Good poem
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Thank you.
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My pleasure
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Wow, I’m rendered speechless!
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Thank you, Scott. I really appreciate you reading.
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I’m not sure how you’ll receive this—and to clarify I didn’t read anything I couldn’t love in this poem—-its only a suggestion about doing something that delves more into the simplicity; like more examples of events-such as the one about stolen bikes. I know you’re smarter than to take affront- so I’m risking sounding stupid here. 😬
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Not stupid at all, I appreciate feedback. I see what you’re saying, I could have definitely made this a longer more in-depth piece.
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Your words, your world yet bring back memories of my own – the truest form of poetry.
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Thank you so much.
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Deep.
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Thank you.
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You took me back to other summers
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Thank you.
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You are welcome ☺️
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To be honest, I have never been a fan of poetry. I hated trying to figure out what the author was saying. I like things in black and white. One plus one equals 2, that’s it! However, your writing just stirs up so many memories and pictures in my mind. I am transported to another place and time. I love that. When I read a good novel I am like an invisible character quietly observing what is happening around me. I am right there in the book. I feel the same when I read your poetry. Thank you for that. Enjoy your weekend.
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I really appreciate you taking the time to leave this comment. I agree, certain poetry can be exhausting to read. The fact you can enjoy my work means a lot to me. Thank you.
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A beautiful poem. It like it very much 💓
Best regards, Balle 🤗
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Thank you very much!
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Beautifully written with just a slight hint of sadness of times passed. Loved it. 🙂
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Thank you very much for reading!
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Most welcome. 😊
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A great look back into childhood and lost innocence. Love this River!
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Thank you, Leigha.
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You’re welcome.
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How lovely and delicate.
P.s
I haven’t forgot review just with flu and everything it’s been mayhem but you ll see it soon💗
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Thank you!
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What memories, a beautifully written Summer poem. Wonderful thoughts, sad about your bike. 💜🌸😊
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Thank you, Yonnie.
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Hello River, you are certainly welcome. It is always a pleasure! Have a great day.
Yonnie💜🌸
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*sigh* loved it
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Thank you.
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Rich with imagery and fading nostalgia.
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Thank you, Robert.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Really tells a story, beautifully written 🙂
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Thank you very much.
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A very beautiful poem! Well written
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Thank you!
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Reblogged this on johncoyote and commented:
Wonderful poetry shared by a talented writer.
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I liked the photo and enjoyed your words.
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Thank you very much, I appreciate the reblog.
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You are welcome my friend.
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I enjoyed your poem. It took an unexpected dark turn at the end. Nicely done!
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Thank you, Liz. I really appreciate you reading.
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Wow! I got caught up in this one. Brilliant writing, River.
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Thank you very much!
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My pleasure!
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I love this poem❤️
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Thank you.
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It’s my pleasure.
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Hey, I love this
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Thank you!
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The tree that stood tall and proud once is reduced to a mere stump. The changing face of the world…leaves us with nothing. Even our innocence is robbed by this poisoned world…
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Very true. . .
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Interesting I played baseball too in my youth and because my father worked all the time and could never attend games, I’d call him after and lie about the hits I’d had, though I wasn’t very good so hardly had any. I gave him this false sense of myself out of fear or his disapproval which now is clear, no matter would have been disapproved regardless. Your depth of voice is giving me inspiration, even if it’s just in a weird nostalgic comment. Keep Up and I look forward to reading your recent published work.
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Thanks for taking the time to tell me this. I was feeling pretty shitty about my writing today. Your comment helped remind me what in the hell it is I’m trying to do here.
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