Friday, February 12, 2016

Young Girl's Retreat



It's 22 degrees here today and everything is covered with snow, so I thought I'd post something to get my mind (and yours) off the cold. I wrote this quite a while ago. It is based on summertime memories I have of playing near a creek when I was a child.


Young Girl's Retreat

Driving by, you would have missed it.
It was a small creek, not much to see,
but from the seat of my bike, it was an oasis.
It sauntered through a corn field,
bubbled over rocks, gurgled peacefully.

I leaned my bike against the guard rail
and scrambled down the bank.
I stirred up dragonflies from the weeds 
and took a seat at water's edge
on an old wooden plank.

Turtles sunning themselves on a log
were startled by my noise
and slipped into the murky green.
Minnows in the water 
darted into the shadows
hoping they hadn't been seen.

Dirt filtered down from the road above
when cars rumbled by.
I'd swing my hand through the air
at the nearby buzz of a pesky horse fly.

I'd float little boats down the stream
made of Queen Anne's Lace.
They'd swirl and dip and careen
in a wet, frilly flower race.

I'd toss stones into the water
just to hear them splash.
Flip crawdads over with a stick.
They'd flip back in a flash.

I left my troubles there
on the banks of that stream.
Midst the cattails 
where the red-winged blackbirds flew.

I'd return home with not a care in the world, 
except for maybe, too much sun 
on my cheeks and nose
and a bit of creek mud stuck 
to the bottom of my shoe.

---from Musings 2013, copyright © 2013 Williams County Writers Group

17 comments:

  1. no frozen creek in TX - we are sunny and mild, but the water would be cold for barefoot plunge. You painted a child oasis indeed with your words.Very nice. Enjoy your Valentine weekend - sounds like a fire and hot cocoa time

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  2. I loved your poem. My sis and I use to have a creek we would ride our bikes to also. Reading this took me way back - ....and it was a time when we could simply ride off and not tell anybody as long as we were back by supper. There were no worries that one would be kidnapped. I really love your poem.

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  3. What a wonderful childhood you had, Connie!
    Love your poem.

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  4. Your creek sounds so much like the ones I played in as a child, it's a wonder we never met there. Terrific poem! It really takes me back. The only thing missing are the tadpoles and frogs. :)

    Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

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  5. This is wonderful! Just the thing to cheer up a cold day!

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  6. Such wholesome memories filled with joyful explorations! Beautifully written, Connie!

    Julie

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  7. makes me long for spring/summer especially since the temps right now is -16. Great poem Connie.

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  8. Oh My----I'm sitting here on a cold, dreary, snowy, sleety day in TN just thinking about sitting on the bank of that creek just thinking and passing the time with that sunshine feeling so warm on me.....I YEARN for a day like that.... Hopefully the groundhog will be right and we WILL have spring SOON...

    Great poem.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  9. Connie, I was totally drawn in with your poem, I have been to creeks like this... I remember the sun and how it felt as I walked along the edge of creek and lean over and dip my hand in to cool myself off... excellent as always xox

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  10. What a carefree, joyous journey. Thank you for taking us to the creek. I was lost in it, in a wonderful way.

    I hope you've had a great weekend, Connie.

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  11. Oh, I love that creek. I want to go there!

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  12. I loved playing in the creek..only we called it a crick. Isn't it sad that so many kids don't know the joys of playing outdoors in this scary world we now live in? Lovely poem, Connie.

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  13. You captured perfectly the way I felt playing in streams, creeks, and even irrigation ditches. How did you know ? Were you there with me ?

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  14. Thank you all for your kind comments. I am surprised and pleased that this poem brought back memories for so many. This was a carefree time from my childhood that I remember very fondly, and apparently, many of my readers do too.

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    1. yes, definitely for me it brought back memories. In fact it inspired me one day to go look through some photos i had taken about five years ago - of the same area that i played in as a kid - the creek area.

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    2. How cool that you have photos from that same area where you played. It's funny how long those memories stay with us.

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  15. I never lived near a creek, Connie, so it was lovely to experience your childhood memories on a chilly winter day here in NH.

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