Saturday, January 24, 2009

The following poem brought a smile to my face, the things that influence and stick, can often be so absurd, but when taught us as children, they may last a lifetime. This picture, which I had some hestitation in adding because of the racial struggles blacks have had in this country, I chose to use because anyone that knows me knows I am color blind and love all races.
I grew up with an Uncle who was mentally challenged, I think he had the mental development of a 14 year old, but he was the man I loved the most; I spent hours at his knee listening to his stories that enthralled me. This poem reminded me of him.
Admonitions
My mother said to me,
"Try to be good.
Keep your belongings
Neat as you should,
Say your prayers daily
Before you sleep,
And make no promise
You cannot keep."
My black mammy said to me,
"Thirteens bad.
Let it alone,
Or you'll wish you had.
Never cut yo' vittles
Wid a black-handled knife,
An' doan kill a spider.
Hit's de debbil's wife."
Seldom I'm good
For virtue's sake,
and many's the promise
I've made to break
But I shun thirteen
And a black-handled knife,
And I couldn't kill a spider
To save my life.
This tickles me so, it is the people we love the dearest that leave impressions on our life.
My Uncle told me a story of two children who rode the Ferris Wheel and a wind came up and blew dirt into the gears of the car they were in and it caused it to stick and they fell out!
I have never ridden a Ferris Wheel to this day!
Picture taken from the Internet

4 comments:

MaryMGlynn said...

This is a beautiful heart-ed child. I love children poems and love this one!
It always amazed me how a child can understand but many times us as adults have closed ourselves from innocents.
Thanks for sharing this!

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Fred :)

Very interesting poem.

Many people think Friday 13th is bad because many calamities happened on that day.

I also believed till recently that friday 13th is bad.

Best wishes :)

FCB said...

Hi Mary,
I too still love children's poems and think they are such a great way of instructing them. This piece illustrates how little things can last forever, even if they're silly.
Love Fred


Hi Joseph,
It is funny how we can be superstitious.
God bless,
Fred

Unknown said...

I could get lost in walking down memory lane with this post. But, I would have to say, family has had as much if not more imprint than others for me.