The Way We Used To

Are we wasting our time away,
all this time spent awake
when we could be sleeping.

Every day is the same day but
played in reverse, monochrome
framed grey caught between
blacktop ball game stained
shoes playing hooky with the
laces pulling tight a child’s
smile six feet from the hills
we rolled down – it’s so dizzy
at the top.

Strolling with collars popped
– big boy style –
our hair pulled back into
a surprised laugh and a chance
look aft to try and catch a guilty
glance of conscious denial punctuated
by a ruler slap,
but also a giggle with a snap
of heads looking down pouring over
spilt milk dribbling as a brook
from out your nose like the
carefully placed barefoot on
slippery rocks, a game of red rover
to get to the other side and knock
over all but the tricky pins sittin'
in the corners while y’all
run around havin' all the fun
and games we used to play on
stormy days like today.

Please, tell me something
so I can fall asleep at night.
A prayer lost on the tip of my
fingers pleading for a bedtime
story with an ending enveloping
me with tucked in blankets and
grownup dreams laced sweet with
warm milk and kisses and a word and
an end.

Tell me something
so that I may rest in peace.

This magnificent poem was created by the one and only @carmalain7

A Few Questions

I wanted to dig a little deeper into this amazing poets mind, so I asked a few questions.

Question 1:

What events transpired you to write the poem "The Way We Used To"? What does this poem mean to you?

Response 1:

I often take time to reflect on where I have been that has led me to where I am now, and where I want to be in the future. Much of my time is spent being thankful for how fortunate I've been to be where I am in life, and the contrast and disconnect I feel with that and hardships I overcame when I was younger. 'The Way We Used To' is nostalgic and reflective in these ways, the coming of age story meets innocence lost too soon. It's not a hero's journey, the end is the end.

Question 2:

Is the poem you wrote reflecting your own life or the life of someone else?

Response 2:

Hopefully both? The poem is deeply rooted in my memories and experiences, but when I was working on it I had discussions with a number of close friends. It used to be more than twice as long and read too stream-of-consciously, like a fever dream. The feedback I received helped 'The Way We Used To' become what it was meant to be; hopefully relatable.

Question 3:

If you can give every new poet a tip to start poetry what would it be?

Response 3:

My number one tip always to poetry is read, then read, then read. Not just the classics, but seek out contemporaries as well. Don't pigeonhole your reading to one style or a poetic genre, try to explore always. Anne Carson is my favorite poet, but I can't ever imagine writing like her (or anything even remotely close to as perfect as she writes) - my brain isn't wired that way - but reading her makes me a better poet.

Second piece of advice would be to get out there and do. Become a 'yes' person, see where life takes you. You can never have too much inspiration or experience. While I know you can still be a great writer if you don't do this - I mean, hope is the thing with feathers, right? - I've found it to be foundational for me.

The Way We Used To: A Poem By Carmalain7