Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Haiku Hump Day Topic: Childhood


I've been thinking a lot about this topic, for obvious reasons. Having a kid makes you remember what it was like to be a kid. Sort of. Because the brain you have now can't perceive things the way you used to.


And it was your young, immature mind that made all the memories you have of childhood. So things probably seemed kinda weird back then.


And let's face it, some of us had it weirder than others.


Some of the contributors on this blog knew each other pretty well back in those days.


Some of our greatest friendships were made in childhood.


Literature had a profound impact on us.


Things seemed bigger then.


And scarier.



And funner.


We might remember it as sweet and pleasant, or terrifying and traumatic. But let's not forget the true horror is where it always ultimately leads.

54 comments:

Julie said...

I'll start us off.

Zack walked to the park.
He knew the whole way himself.
Shouted "Hi!" to planes.

Julie said...

Immediate needs
Thwarted. That's where it all starts.
Years of therapy.

50PageMcGee said...

The end of childhood
When you see *no one* gets it
It isn't just you

JPX said...

Childhood is 'magic'
Santa Clause, Easter Bunny
Reality bites

The endless summer
That's how it seems when you're 12
Now it just flies by

Family trip; Disney
In a way I never left
I want to live there

JPX said...

My childhood summers
Fifteen is when they ended
"You're getting a job"

Octopunk said...

I spend my whole life
Trying to find that feeling
Of Christmas morning

Catfreeek said...

Italian Mom
West Virginian hick Dad
my childhood was strange

What's for dinner Mom?
Your Dad hasn't killed it yet
Yes, in Barrington

Venison's awesome
I know squirrel tastes like chicken
Rattle snake stew rocks!

My Mom drew the line
when he brought home a raccoon
skinned and gutted out

I once asked my Dad
if he had eaten opossum
he got mad at me

"No we didn't eat
opossum. It's too darn greasy!"
Like I should know that.

Catfreeek said...

As movie stars go
West Virginia's claim to fame
Don Knotts, they're so proud

Relived Christmas joy
through the eyes of my children
vicariously

Field behind my house
A plethora of wonders
Gone. Now huge houses

Put on bathing suit
grab umbrella, go outside
"Siiiiingin' in the rain..."

Catfreeek said...

Hmmm, opossum greasy
If he's never eaten it
how would he know that

Octopunk said...

Saw an Indian
Then two days later I cried
My mom was confused

Octopunk said...

Staring petrified
Man at the foot of my bed
Wearing a hat

Hat brim was curtain
In the daylight I knew this
Knew nothing at night

Octopunk said...

Scary animals
Thought them extinct like dinos
They couldn't eat me

Ironic reveal
Jungle Cruise ride on TV
Fake animals real?

Octopunk said...

I thought the TV
Just turned on when you got there
Sat waiting in chair...

JPX said...

Weather man stated,
"The sun won't come out today"
I broke into tears

Why was I crying?
I thought he meant forever
I was 4 years old

On Sesame Street
when baker fell down the stairs
I tried to save him

I'd press my two hands
against the television
but it never worked

Johnny Sweatpants said...

An unpleasant truth
My earliest memory:
Green poop on the beach

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Basement of wonder
Red plastic record player
KISS records worn out

50PageMcGee said...

Childhood Octopunk
Frozen fear in midnight bed
Zuni warrior!

50PageMcGee said...

jeff, twelve year old lamb
paroxysms of terror
who *wouldn't* be scared?

those razor sharp teeth
stabstabstab, whirlwind of wrath
moldy wooden bod

Johnny Sweatpants said...

JPX drama
Ran away from home one day
He had me worried

It was all a ruse
He just crouched behind a rock
To get back at Mom

50PageMcGee said...

octopunk's nightmare:
meets Hamburglar, who then shrinks
Oh no! Zuni guy!

AC said...

my nose in a book
the cause or consequence of
lacking social skills

learned to read real fast
by flashlight after "lights OUT!"
didn't help my eyes

preferred "boy" fiction
my tastes continue boyish
shocking i'm not gay

proof of my "boy" tastes
sarah jessica's ugly
buckaroo's awesome

Johnny Sweatpants said...

The first book I read
Choose Your Own Adventure yarn
I promptly cheated

First album I loved
Dynasty by KISS, of course
The disco era

My very first film
Caught Puff the Magic Dragon
Got me hooked on weed

My very first kiss
Second grade with Sarah Blatt
It was meant to be

First time I saw boobs
Stash of Playboys in the woods
I was like “jackpot!”

Octopunk said...

I don't get 50
Got no beef with Hamburglar
Why get him involved?

50PageMcGee said...

Salacious Crumb, calm
Then his necklace gets knocked off
Oh no! Zuni guy!

50PageMcGee said...

Cornholio raves.
Then someone gives him a knife.
Oh shit! Zuni guy!

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Boyhood companion
Rowlf doll with Donald Duck mask
We had adventures

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Always hated church
Even as a little boy
I could smell bullshit

Still goes up my ass
Being forced to confess sins
At such a young age

JPX said...

Even to this day
September makes me depressed
"Back to school" banners

AC said...

used to ride my bike
way further than parents knew
probably not safe

we'd play in the woods
homemade spears and working bows
probably not safe

Octopunk said...

Li'l Fitty's night cries
Freaked about what will happen
If Megatron wins

Octopunk said...

There there, li'l 50
That Care Bear won't get you here
Oh! You pooped the bed

50PageMcGee said...

care bears? you're on crack
that part about megatron
happens to be true

50PageMcGee said...

but seriously
giant robots are scary
everyone fears them

who fears wooden dolls?
(you'll dream of this thread later
sleep well tonight, pal)

50PageMcGee said...

bleary eyed julie
wakes up to infantile screams
"there, there, octopunk"

Octopunk said...

Wet bed Christmas Eve
Lay on soaked sheets, didn't wanna
Screw up Santa's gig

Catfreeek said...

Hung out in graveyards
Christopher Lee my dream man
What, you're not surprised?

Played Dracula with friends
Peter was Drac, me Lucy
Carol was Mina

In Carol's basement
A castle dungeon to us
No stakes or crosses

Neck sucking first kiss
Carol and Peter are gone
both to suicide

Strange to remember
Those days seem so distant now
Did I miss a sign?

Catfreeek said...

Liked playing with mud
squishing it between my toes
and I still do it

Had temper tantrums
sister could push my buttons
she was such a bitch

Played with my Barbies
til I was about thirteen
my fantasy realm

My son at sixteen
playing with his Lego men
normal to Octo

Octopunk said...

Hell yeah that's normal
I just got some during lunch
Lego ostriches!

Catfreeek said...

Never liked Weebles
I was a Fisherprice girl
Blocky people rule!

Playing Game of Life
bit some of the people stems
to make kids for cars

Monopoly games
usually ended with fights
kids are sore losers

My favorite board game
Clue, everyone a suspect
and tiny weapons

Best dice in a game
Trouble had pop-o-matic
Don't play it, just pop

AC said...

nasty to my sibs
though i've reformed since those days
my nickname was "bitch"

i'd make up stories
ripping off poe and lovecraft
scare them into tears

let's not mention fights
biting, hairpulling, scratching
till bro grew muscles

Mr. AC said...

Childhood phobias
Everyone seems to have one
Mine was gorillas

My older brother
Carefully cultivated
My gorilla fear

His Halloween mask
A bloody-fanged gorilla
He used it year-round

In the dark of night
Poised at the top of the stairs
A pair of crutches

Draped in a trench coat
Topped with the gorilla mask
Scared me and my mom

After that, the mask
mysteriously vanished
But my fear remained

DKC said...

The joy of Christmas.
You really do get it back
when you are Santa.

I believed in him,
and the bunny and fairy
'til - I think - Nine? Ten?

Whatever the age,
Twas ridiculously late.
Eh. I liked the dream.

DKC said...

Summers were the best.
We had a damn swimming pool!
I think we grew gills.

THen we got older
and started crazy shit like
jumping off the roof.

Unbelievable
that no one ended up dead.
Or at least crippled.

DKC said...

Pic of Bro and me,
He'd read Bazooka comics
to me. Awwww, so sweet.

It really bugged me.
He read at four. I couldn't!
Just the beginning...

DKC said...

The best memories.
Making cookies with our Mom.
Frosting Nirvana.

DKC said...

Was cool Mom today.
Up on stage at puppet show!
In robot "costume."

"Raise your hand!" says Jake.
Only adult to do so...
Kids think I'm awesome.

That's the kind of thing
I will do in a heartbeat.
Keeps me a kid too.

DKC said...

The fever vision
I can't forget: Shadow with
ax, coming at me.

I would close my eyes,
when I opened them again,
he would be closer.

I was probably
six or so when this happened.
Never forgotten.

JPX said...

Time goes by quickly
Met Octo in the third grade
Traded Star Wars cards

For 32 years
We've had many adventures
We're still trading stuff

I'm 40 years old
In my head I'm still a kid
It's more fun that way

I don't like my age
I can't believe I'm 40
How did this happen?

Grandfather declared
"It's terrible to get old"
During his final days

Octopunk said...

How did we do it?
The pool entertained for hours
These days just minutes

Catfreeek said...

We had a pool too
Swimming until lips were blue
and skin was pruney

Mom called, "Time to eat!"
Noooo, I'll just have one more dive
stayed 2 more hours

Punishment for this?
Raging case of swimmers ear
so miserable

JPX said...

Some of the best times
Roof jumping at Octo's house
Serious business

Climbing junior high
Got arrested by police
Childhood ended there

50PageMcGee said...

we lived on a hill
stretch of land sloped down behind
called it "the Gully"

pine tree canopy
fields of ivy and tall grass
the smell of clean soil

bottlebrush bushes
flowers like red sea urchins
pungent perfume leaves

days, nights, rain or shine
youthful hours passed in elseworld
here, my green kingdom

then new neighbors came
no bullshit -- alec baldwin
and kim basinger

paid for landscaping
planted trees for privacy
out went the magic

part of fantasy
forgetting the world around
you write your own tale

then awareness comes
you're not really a ninja
people can see you

at 13 years old
stopped going down through that gate
overgrown with vines

50PageMcGee said...

first porno, age 6
i noticed girls *real* early
innocent somehow

50PageMcGee said...

nintendo system
sonic childhood memories
8-bit beep soundtrack

Malevolent

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