That Childhood Song

That Childhood Song
about potatoes leads me to forever finger-count
We lose an eye from Mr.’s head, but Missus smiles crimson as we watch her ears clatter to the floor
I rage if my sister grabs canasta’s discards or takes triple letter square with “X”
We squeal as Mother’s fingers jump across keys, songs flying round our heads, swinging on Daddy’s shoes
I know by six
hokey pokey is…IT

Later (in the middle) spirographs take charge
Sailing rainbows of movement across daysmonthsyears, spinning gleeful distracted frantic
Babies twirl on my shoes
Momentum hurtling young ones out to unknown spaces
Crescendo

Tempo varies now as I spin in new ways
Puzzling over jigsaw mandalas, clicking mahjong tiles with new friends (I don’t know well enough for rage)
Attacking cryptoquotes with a daily vengeance and jumbling (juggling) letters between my ears
Should I meditate or cogitate?… (make lists or just breathe?)

Still, most happily, I dance…shake it…all about and turn…myself around.

Ann Von Brock grew up in Baton Rouge and has lived in Asheville, North Carolina, since 1978. Her focus has been professional writing as a social service administrator but her recent retirement allows her time to participate in writing classes, develop her craft, and write for pleasure.

About That Childhood Song—I was inspired by that line in Hadara Bar-Nadav’s Collection (Lullaby (with Exit Sign)), which brought to mind phases of life and the sometimes obscure threads of continuity.