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Young child ....
by Anne Howe
Young child, what is it about your clothes
That offends you today
Causing you to cast them off
And run naked in the chilly air?
Your statuesque figure adorns the garden
With the beauty of a cherub
And your lovely dark eyes
Radiate life and energy
What is it that you think about, little boy
As you wave your hands rhythmically and sing?
And why do your songs have so few notes?
Are you in tune with something in nature
Which most fail to hear?
The fragrant gum trees rise
In swaying beauty above your head
Fire red bushes form the boundary of your garden world
Birds in the treetops sing their song too
And croaking frogs play in the creek
I am confused by your confusion
But I hope you are happy little boy,
As you glide through your own world
On your garden-swing.
Companion poem to 'Autism' and 'Behind the eyes of the child' 10/07/2002 Posted on 10/08/2002
Copyright © 2024 Anne Howe
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 10/08/02 at 01:08 PM Vivid reminders of myself who as a small child hehe also stripped to my birthday suit and ran happily around the back yard despite my mother's protests. |
| Posted by Cathlyn Cartier on 10/23/02 at 12:41 AM The way that you capture this complicated, little understood phenomenon is wonderful... you put into such easily understood words, the questions and frustrations that those of us on the outside looking in are feeling. |
| Posted by Morgan D Hafele on 11/01/02 at 11:08 AM beautiful. |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 11/01/02 at 12:59 PM Great to read this again Anne. Congrats on being POTD! |
| Posted by JD Clay on 11/01/02 at 01:57 PM Wonderful words that memorialize those who see things for what they truly are, simple and free. This poem is everything dear. Congratulations on becoming Poet Of The Day. Peace...jadi |
| Posted by David R Spellman on 11/01/02 at 02:15 PM Nice to see this as POTD. You capture well the free and uninhibited wonder of childhood here. |
| Posted by Mara Meade on 11/01/02 at 05:17 PM Anne, I just read your series and am so struck by the compassion with which you write. And while I know you are speaking about a child with autism, I see how it can be applied in a more universal way to those who are marching to the beat of a different drum... who is to say that their music is not closer to the soul or the bosom of the earth than yours or mine? This is so beautifully expressed. |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 11/01/02 at 10:10 PM Vivid and poignant. Beautifully expressed. Tender and compassionate. |
| Posted by Glenn Currier on 11/02/02 at 04:35 AM Your poem dresses the child in nature, shows the connection these and other children have with the earth and its creatures... and all their natural abandon. Also I see YOUR compassion, your at-oneness with the child/ren and your beautiful soul. |
| Posted by Delilah Coyne on 12/04/05 at 01:35 AM I really enjoyed reading this! The innocence is striking. |
| Posted by Joan Serratelli on 03/12/09 at 03:02 PM The Child- her innocence- her nakedness- all enhance this beautiful piece! This could be written about any child- not just one with Autism. Great read and excellent work! |
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