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there once was a boy

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The echoes of laughter fade, 
hushed whispers of a time when 
innocence wove through our days
fragile threads now unraveling.

A boy stands by the edge of the river
                    eyes wide with wonder
tracing the ripples that dance 
beneath the setting sun.
The world felt endless then
             each stone a treasure
                    each tree a fortress.

He built dreams in the sand
fortresses of imagination
only to watch them crumble 
beneath the relentless tide.
              The waves took his castles
and with them, pieces of his youth.

The seasons changed
leaves turned to gold and fell
blanketing the ground 
with remnants of yesterday.
In the quiet moments
he searched for the boy 
                   he used to be
finding only shadows 
and echoes of forgotten laughter.

Grief settled like morning mist
                    dense and inescapable
clouding the paths he once walked 
with carefree abandon.
                The weight of loss 
pressed against his chest
each breath a reminder 
of what was no more.

He sees the world through different eyes
                scars etched into his soul
a testament to battles fought 
and innocence lost.
The boyhood dreams lie buried
                       beneath the soil of reality
where they whisper of what could have been.

In the stillness of twilight
he mourns the boy he left behind
the one who believed 
in endless summers and unbroken promises.
The man stands alone
bearing the burden of knowledge
yet cherishing the fragments 
of a past that shaped him.

This is the death of boyhood
a solemn rite of passage
where innocence fades 
and grief fills the void.
But within the sorrow, 
there lies a quiet strength
a resilience born of loss
and a heart that still remembers 
                               . . . how to dream.

 

 

 

◄ 10/01/2025

when echo lost its shadow ►

Comments

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Red Brick Keshner

Mon 13th Jan 2025 12:31

Thanks so much @Stephen (Gospage) 🌷and Rolph David 🌷

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Stephen Gospage

Mon 13th Jan 2025 08:53

A superb poem, RBK.

Rolph David

Sun 12th Jan 2025 13:17


Hi RBK,
Your poem "there once was a boy" is a poignant exploration of the inevitable loss of innocence and the transition from childhood to adulthood. You beautifully capture the fleeting nature of youth, and how the carefree joy of a child gives way to the weight of reality and grief as time passes. The image of the boy by the river, tracing ripples in the water, symbolizes the purity and wonder of childhood—moments that seem endless but are soon swept away by the tide of life's demands and challenges.

The way you describe the boy’s dreams—fortresses in the sand, crumbling beneath the waves—reflects the fragility of youth’s hopes and the inevitable erosion of those dreams as one grows older. What resonates deeply is the contrast between the boy's world of boundless possibility and the man's quiet mourning of those lost dreams. This tension between memory and reality, between who he was and who he has become, is felt strongly throughout the poem.

Your depiction of grief as "morning mist" and the weight of loss as pressing against the chest is visceral and real. Yet, amid the sorrow, there is an underlying strength, a quiet resilience that speaks to the growth and wisdom gained through those difficult transitions. The idea that the man still cherishes the fragments of his past—while carrying the scars of battles fought—is powerful. The final lines, where you remind us that the heart can still "remember how to dream," bring a sense of hope, a reminder that though boyhood may fade, the capacity for dreams and hope remains.

This poem feels like a tribute to the parts of ourselves that are lost over time but never entirely forgotten. It’s a reminder that, even in our grief, there’s a quiet strength to be found in holding on to the dreams that shaped us.

Great job!

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