Tadpoles in The Creek

[Zondrae]

Speaking of the Tadpole poem in another post - so I thought I should post it. I don't think I have posted it on this new site. I have very fond memories of the time I spent with this Aunty and Uncle . I must have been 3 1/2 or 4 and stayed with them for just over a year. I also spent other short periods in their care, the last time being at aged 15. When I was sent to them for 6 months while my mother helped an other sister (there were 10 sisters and 5 brothers) with her boarding house in Sydney. Aunty Tess was my mothers older sister.

TADPOLES IN THE CREEK
© Zondrae King (Corrimal) 04/09

We lived in suburbia back when I was a kid,
the concrete of the footpath was so hard,
but when we went to Aunty’s place I loved the things we did.
A creek ran by the bottom of their yard.

On its’ bank there grew an ancient weeping willow tree.
Its’ drooping branches acted like a rope.
We’d grab a bundle with both hands and take a giant leap.
We’d make the other side with one long lope.

Even in the driest times a gentle trickle ran.
It gurgled over gravel, stone and root.
When sometimes we discovered there were tadpoles in the creek
we knew that summers’ day would be a beaut.

Tadpoles – magic, fat and black – I picture them today.
When newly hatched they had no legs at all.
Escaping through your fingers with a tickle and a squirm
no matter how I tried they’d always fall

back into the water that was cool and clear and sweet.
We’d giggle and we’d squeal with delight.
When, finally, we caught them we would put them in a jar.
Aunt said that we could keep them overnight.

Rushes grew along the creek to over five feet high.
We used a rusty knife to cut them down
then spent the afternoon in weaving mats to picnic on,
or twisting willow branches to a crown.

Every summer, I would hear the new Cicadas call.
Their crispy skins clung half way up the tree.
I sometimes sat and watched, intent, the adult bug emerge.
All nature was pure mystery to me.

Aunty’s house was old and it was pulled down years ago.
With heavy heart I watched the dozers come.
To benefit the neighbourhood they built a shopping mall.
It may have pleased the most but not the some.

Under concrete inches thick, the creek still runs today
but sometimes in my mind I take a peek
at memories of Summers and Cicadas songs of youth
and Aunty’s, catching tadpoles in the creek.

[Leonie]

Oh yes, doesn't that bring back memories. I grew up in a street that had a creek at the end of it. It attracted all the local kids like moths to a flame and every one of us was 'forbidden' to play there. Yeah right. Did the tadpoles in a bottle thing too. I'm pretty sure that creek is gone now too, probably piped under ground as well.

I was watching David Attenborough on TV last night and he was talking about the wonder of watching a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis and how beautiful it was to watch it unfolding it's wings and drying them in the sun. That brought back memories too. I used to see butterfly chrysalises all over when I was a kid. I hardly ever see them now but we still seem to have heaps of butterflys. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough.

We could amuse ourselves with simple things when we were kids. Nature was a constant source of joy.

Oh I rambled on so long. I almost forgot to say what a great poem that was Zondrae, but I'm sure you can tell how much I enjoyed it.

[Neville Briggs]

I like that poem Zondrae, you've got some really good things happening there I reckon.You've focused on showing ; by describing things doing things, which makes for lively images. I love the crispy skinned cicadas.



Neville

[Heather]

Happy childhood memories for you Zondrae. I too have happy memories of playing for hours at a time with tadpoles. I'd forgotten all about it - so thanks for the memory. I'd bet most kids don't get to do that these days

Heather

[Jasper Brush]

When I was a kid our house, other than the front, was completely surrounded by bush.

Your poem brought back the memories of my younger days.

We used to run through the bush in bare feet and later on, on some nights, I would spend a bit of time with a needle extracting prickles from the soles of my feet. We had adventures the same as yours.

John

[william williams]

wonderful Zondrae. In the forum it was stated thachildren see things tha reminded me of a saying an old mate used to say . Small things amuse small minds but small minds take notice you know I recone that we adults now have larger minds and we just don't notice what is around us each day

[r.magnay]

...an astute observation I reckon Bill! Happy New Year to you.....(and everyone else for that matter.)

[william williams]

Thanks Ross happy new year to you to and all the rest of everbody. Can you see over the top of the mitchel grass yet Ross they say it was never greener when you seener after rain has been at Alice. Come on Mate yah gotta mow dat d### lawn hefore the camels get to it

Bill the old Bushie