Home

Hide and Seek

Posted by Silver Spun Sand on January 20, 2012 - 20:14
from the ABC set Silver Spun Sand Poems

When you were kids, I’d hear you
playing upstairs – music blaring;
ballerinas, you’d be, in Swan Lake...
Murder in the Dark – your favourite,
but I banned it...too noisy by far.
Speedily replaced by Hide and Seek...
you’d be creeping downstairs...
avoiding the fourth from the top;
prone to squeaking, as it was. Then,
there was your sister, counting...one,
two, three seconds, at a hell of a lick.

‘Coming ready or not!’ she’d yell.
You used to say she was a cheat
for going too fast. She looks for you,
still...counting one, two, three, four
long years, and going strong. This
has to be your final game, as through
her fingers she is tempted to peek.
She never will, though, I know...
she’d rather go on kidding herself...
instead, chooses to believe you’ve just
‘slipped away’, and perhaps, one day,
she’ll find you, in that ‘other room’.

Discuss this piece in the abctales forum


Comments

russiandoll | January 20, 2012 - 20:30

Beautiful :) The imagery teases out so many memories of my own, Murder in the Dark was absolutely my FAVOURITE game which I had entirely forgotten about til reading your poem. Very effectively written - I feel like I was there and can also totally relate to the choosing to believe that the game is somehow suspended. Much enjoyed and appreciated x

Silver Spun Sand | January 20, 2012 - 21:14

Many thanks, russian doll. I much value your words, and the sentiment behind them;-)

Tina

Highhat | January 22, 2012 - 14:36

instead, chooses to believe you’ve just
‘slipped away’, and perhaps, one day,
she’ll find you, in that ‘other room’.

these lines stand out for me Tina--well done on this poem..a good piece of work

;)Pia

MistakenMagic | January 22, 2012 - 15:44

A shorter poem from you, Tina - and all the more beautiful for it. Love those final few lines! Well-deserving of a cherry!

Magic xxx

Silver Spun Sand | January 22, 2012 - 18:28

Thanks so much for the read, and for your words, Pia;-)

Tina

Silver Spun Sand | January 22, 2012 - 18:29

Yes, you are right, Magic...about the 'shortness'. I find 'short' difficult, so maybe I should try and work at it more often.

Pleased you enjoyed, and many thanks for telling
me;-)

Tina xxx

skinner_jennifer | January 22, 2012 - 21:52

Hi Tina,

wow! you have been busy, since I was last on here.

So many of the old games, are not played anymore.
I agree with Pia, those lines are so poignant and
yet give the reader hope.

Wonderful poem.

Jenny.

Silver Spun Sand | January 22, 2012 - 22:02

Thank you, Jenny...and yes, I guess I have;-)

Thanks so very much for your lovely comment, and those games just aren't played any more. Postman's knock, unfortunately, one of them;-)

Pleased you enjoyed.

Tina;-)

threeleafshamrock | January 23, 2012 - 12:24

'she’d rather go on kidding herself...
instead, chooses to believe you’ve just
‘slipped away’, and perhaps, one day,
she’ll find you, in that ‘other room’.'

Beautiful imagery, amplifying the sadness of loss and the battle, that we [all, on some level] fight with acceptance. Would that, that other room existed - maybe it does, what do I know? I guess we'll all find out one day.

One of my favourites of yours Tina; many - including me, obviously - will empathize. Well done...

Chris XXX

Silver Spun Sand | January 23, 2012 - 13:09

Thanks Chris, for your more than thoughtful comment.

Yes, regarding that 'other room' we'll all find out, sooner or later.

Pleased you got so much from this;-)

Tina xxx