CHILDHOOD

1.
To look back into
my childhood world
I must open locked gates
and climb high walls.

I try not to see the
khaki-clad days
in the thorny playgrounds
of my youth,

but the faces of friends
I scrubbed floors with
or sat across at table
eating dumplings;
nor do I hear
the rattling
of a heavy
bunch of keys,
the drone of
evening prayers,
or beaten cries,
but the dreams
I shared with friends…

2.
Dreams

To have a pigeon cage
and happiness,
you need
banana-crate walls
and wire mesh.
But, pigeons most of all!

The pigeons you must catch
in the gutters of the
clustered rooftops,
a pillow-case full at night,
when no one is around;
or, set a makeshift trap.

We used to climb the rooftops
to catch
a glimpse
of the world outside;

sit all day long
trapping hopes and dreams
to fill
our cage…


3.
Honeycombs

Honeycombs
clinging to the trees
are worthwhile
climbing for,
bleeding for,
falling down
ten hurting feet
or more.


4.
Battles


Dust-bin lids
made clanging shields;
home-made swords
drew lots of blood.

Battles were part
of ‘free-time’
in a playing field
walled in
like a fortress.
5.
Fighting Back …

Fighting back
was useless.
Not toy soldiers,
but bigger boys
taught me that.

One day
I found that words
were more precious
to use
than scruffy fists;

unwavering eyes
are a platform
which cannot
be breached.


6.
Friends

I had a friend
who brought
his letters from home
to me
to read
to him.
Head over my shoulder,
he would follow my finger excitedly;
stopping me for explanations
of the things
he could not understand.

The bad news; the vague promises.

Comics always followed
to put both our minds
at rest…


7.
An Aunt

Marching down
to town
in gay pairs
was a treat.

So many new faces; so many new things.

A lady once stopped me,
stroked my hair
and gave me a chocolate.

I told the whole dormitory
that night
that I had an aunt
who lived in town.

Every night at wash time
I looked out the window
down into the street
hoping to see her.

Perhaps she doesn’t know
where I stay...   

Copyright: Mario d'Offizi