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Poems

John Stevens Jul 2010
I was having grand ole time wading about in my newly found Kiddie Pool. The water had a slight blue color against the beautiful white pool sides. My life had kind of been going down the drain lately but this seemed to be a rather fortuitous find.

I happened upon it one dark day when I was not seeing well and decided to stay awhile. I had let some things cloud my vision and dull my senses. I was so happy in my Kiddie Pool just doing my thing. Not a care in the world and I was very contented… life was easy. When all of a sudden the bottom fell out of my nifty Kiddie Pool. I soon found myself trying to stay afloat in the middle of what appeared to a vast ocean. The smell was not so great, actually it was down right awful! I was alone it seemed at first but I could hear the cries of others somewhere just beyond me.

Despair set in. I felt very broken. What happened? Life happened but why me?

Something or someone had pulled the handle on my Kiddie Pool that I so enjoyed. I had become accustomed to its “ambiance” but now I was really feeling flushed.

I discovered my Kiddie Pool was connected to a greater pool that went by the first name of Cess. The things I thought were water toys floating about me were not and they were killing me by degrees. The things of pleasure were dragging me down and my future did not look so grand any more. I cried out in the darkness hoping someone would hear me. “Oh God”, I screamed, “are you really there? I am lost. Please help me!”

I was going down for the third and final time when the Ship of Life appeared out of nowhere. I was hauled aboard by the Captain of the Ship. Rescued from the “flushing” I had endured after getting in the Kiddie Pool of Life. My feet were now on the Ship of Life. The Captain washed me clean. My head became clear and I could finally see where I had been and it was NOT pretty.

“I once was lost but now I am found.” How wonderful it is to be found.
2005        During a rather flippant mood.
Unedited version:    http://idahostevens.com/idscom/?p=50
I was terrified of water more than I feared death,
From the youngest age,
Looking back I guess this makes since,
I was the first to climb a tall ladder,
I was the first to climb over fences,
Talk to strangers,
I had no fear of death,
It had no bound on me,
Still I was afraid of water,
One day I woke up in my little green bed,
And decided I wanted to swim,
Before my fear would make me watch as the other children did,
So what's a toddler that can barely walk to do?
Give up? no no!
I had my mind set on it,
So I stumbled right down to the end of the dock,
One little leg lifted,
Followed by another,
I was in the water,
I almost drown that day,
But death did not prevail then,
I was not allowed on the deep end for years and years after other kids,
I grew up watching,
Dreaming,
Hoping,
That one day I would swim,
My father was too busy to teach me,
My mother was too sick to swim herself,
Relatives were far away,
So I grew up in kiddie pools,
It was boring,
So very boring,
Still years later,
Even the sight of a kiddie pool bores me,
I did not give up,
Although it was drilled into my head that the deep end is dangerous,
And so is swimming alone,
And so is not wearing a life vest,
And so is walking alone by water,
And that drowning was bad,
Very very bad,
It was drilled into my head that it should be my biggest fear,
And so it did,
But still,
Me being me I did not give up,
I would grab onto the edge of the sides of my little kiddie pool,
And paddle paddle my little feet,
I could stay afloat for a few seconds,
It took me years,
Years,
To learn how to swim,
No one taught me how,
I just tried and tried,
It still took me years to not be afraid of drowning,
That still haunts me,
But I'm still not afraid of tall ladders,
Or climbing over fences,
Or talking to strangers,
I love to swim,
I loved to swim even before I could swim,
I realized something recently,
The criticism from my family,
The jabs from my friends,
All about how I couldn't swim,
Made me want to swim even more,
And I did!
They never admitted that they were wrong,
My grandma thought I was slow I'm sure,
Now I've proved her wrong and all the others,
Yet still,
They expect me to fail,
I'll just keep remembering,
How they meant to tear me down,
But instead build me up,
That is the story of how I learned to swim.
I'm actually not sure that this is a poem but I wrote it this morning and I'll post it anyway. It's a bit more on the lighthearted side. I hope you enjoy.
LITTLE BARMAN IN THE CITY

SAYS LOOK AFTER THE LITTLE KIDDIE

HELP HIM UNDERSTAND HIS MUM

AS SHE TRIES TO HELP HIM YEAH

HELP ME HELP ME HELP HE SAID

BEFORE ANY ROBBER DESTROYS US

COME LITTLE KIDDIE COME TO ME

AND BE AS HAPPY AS CAN BE

YA SEE LITTLE KIDDIE LOOK AT ME

YA SEE YA DRINK TOO MUCH TEA

YOU NEED TO DETOX THAT LITTLE DRUG IN TEA

THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AS CAN BE

HELP ME HELP ME HELP HE SAID

BEFORE YOUR FATHER SHUTS YOU UP

COME LITTLE KIDDIE, COME WITH ME, AND REALLY PARTY

LITTLE GARDEN OUT THE BACK OF THE PUB

OWNED BY THE REALLY RICH SNOBS

THEY WANT NOTHING FROM ME, BUT MONEY YEAH

TO MAKE THEM HAPPY AS CAN BE

HELP ME HELP HELP ME, HELP HE SAID

BEFORE THE ROBBER SHOOTS ME DEAD

COME LITTLE YOUNG DUDE COME WITH ME,

AND BE AS HAPPY AS CAN BE

BE AS HAPPY, BE AS HAPPY BE AS HAPPY AS CAN BE

HELP ME HELP ME HELP HE SAID,

THOSE OLD KODGERS, ARE BIG *******

COME LITTLE YOUNG YOUNG DUDE, PLAY WITH ME

AS HAPPY AS CAN BE