I was a young boy
with an aluminum bat
and an idea.
The grass in the yard
had grown neglectfully high
and the roses had not blossomed.
In the little corner garden,
the elephant ears had grown caterpillar-eaten
and the dandelions grew taller than my head.
Heather and clover grew like weeds
across the grounds.
The small brick pit had been pierced by foliage.
The mosquitoes and butterflies had made a home,
and a wasps' nest lay in perfect sight
on the underside of the gutters.
The fireflies were here; flitting about
in their bright green blink of an existence.
Lazily hovering to attract mates.
I was a young boy with an aluminum bat and an idea.
I had walked around the yard a few times by now,
enjoying with the childlike admiration
the presence of the small flashing insects
that seemed to multiply in front of me
in the fleeting sunlight.
I had come to practice my swing,
pathetic little player I was,
but my ball had gone from my sight.
The first swing was a near miss.
I could almost see the pain as it nosedived
and flickered violently in the clover and grass.
Wishing only to father newborns,
wishing only to continue their time.
Wishing only as any father would
to make a better life for their sons.
I stomped it out with the butt of my baseball bat,
and moved on with no second thought to the next one.
I could faintly feel the impact through the implement.
It flew a scant foot or two, and also nosedived,
once more flickering violently
and struggling against its fortune.
I stomped it out.
I moved on.
I was a young boy with an aluminum bat and an idea;
flicking the lightning bugs out of the air
and stomping their brains out before they could recover.
My hands and shoulder began to ache
from the exertion of my swings;
my aim growing ever-truer
as I anticipated their flight paths;
trying to hit them twice
before they reached the ground.
My bat grew ever more stained
with their abdominal chemicals;
a bright yellow-green
flecked across its cold metal surface.
I missed one,
and swung again and again,
trying desperately to hit it before it escaped.
Guilt.
Realization.
Collapse.
I found myself several minutes later
dry-heaving with grass and small insects
all over my prone, fetal body.
I quickly rushed to the garden hose
like a murderer
cleaning his implement
but no stain would remove
from its coarse facing.
I could throw it away;
my parents bought it for me,
and we are not well-off.
They will wonder and speculate.
No; I must hide it in its bag.
I won't remove it.
I'll find an alternate.
No one can see it.
I was a young boy
with an aluminum bat
and an idea.
Author notes
Freswinn
Chicken parmesan.
=P
A contest entry
- Round Two of Three; Invite only by islekine.
600 points, ended October 21, 2008, 3 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Well?
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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Ouch!!!
My inner animal rights activist is crying. I'm glad that in the end you stopped and felt bad about it. Oh so poor little bugs!
PS I used variations of the word "firefly" for the passwords to many of my sites.... -
Well...I knew when I brought you to
round two, you wouldn't dissapoint me...and you certainly haven't...this is great...it has on heck of an impact...and I like the "free-style" of write...
I critque and score on a 100 point system that most of the other entrants are familiar with...I will be interested to see how the scores...I will be posting scores at the close of the contest...
Best wishes!
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I enjoyed this as it spoke of the strange ways children often abuse nature without really thinking of the consequenses (sp) lol..most enjoyable wander through a garden with a boy
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I can honestly say I've never plucked the legs off of a grasshopper, fried ants with a magnifying glass, or salted a slug. No, I had to be innovative.
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Lol...all the awful things lil boys do
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Hey there I thought that this was a great piece here good luck to you in her contest be well
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That was a lot of well wishes per capita. ^_^
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wow 'Freswinn' - great story! Sad, though...but I'm sure a common thing for little boys and baseball bats...lol
Well done! Great images!
best wishes in the contest.
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Greatly appreciated. Good luck yourself =)
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