Glass marbles

Do you remember poking cats-
eyes into outlandish rat runs ply
scrap hammered with Dad’s rusty nails,
rubber band rails?

You didn’t always collect high score
but you always hit bottom first.
I’ll bet you a steelie at two score and ten
that you’re coming out
and I’m going in.

7 Responses to “Glass marbles”

  1. Narnie Says:

    !Ramble warning! My brother and I made a skittle thing with ply – you know the one with the ball on a rope, on a pole and all the skittles are looped with rope underneath and you pull a lever to ping them all back up again? I painted it mint green – the colour that had been used on our bathroom walls – and my brother reckoned I’d made it look stupid. We made a boat too… and it sunk. I reckon it’s in the making rather than the result – comaraderie and that feeling that just is with your siblings. I like the rhythmic hard sounds that perfectly accentuates the subject, Brad. Don’t ever lose your marbles.

    That skittle machine sounds cool. Thanks Kiersty. Lost the marbles already. Not to worry, they are still collectibles.

  2. Paul Squires Says:

    That is just brilliant. I am coming back many times to run this poem ball around in my head and vice versa.

    Thanks Paul.

  3. jason Says:

    amazing you do this and don’t fall into the horrendous nostalgia trap. i can’t do this myself and know very few, aside from you, who can.

    I’m a bit of a closet horrendous nostalgia nerd, Jason. Don’t tell anyone I once went to a Star Trek convention and bought a communicator badge. beeeedeeeleedebeeep!

  4. Gabrielle Bryden Says:

    This has nothing to do with marbles does it? Even if it does, the meaning I take from it makes it one hell of a poem to me. Well done Brad.

    There is certainly another intended reading in there, Gabrielle. Glad you picked it. Thanks.

  5. David King Says:

    Superb. I am gobsmacked.

    Thanks Dave!

  6. Tracey Says:

    I have an enormous collection of marbles sitting somewhere amongst the random goods I’ve picked up on my way through life so far. This makes me think on them with kind and thoughtful eyes…

    Spring time in Canada the marble season would begin at school. We would all sit in the quadrangle and set our marbles up in verticals, horizontals, diamonds or stack them in pyramids then challenge people to shoot at them. We would keep the marbles that missed the target, and make up all sorts of rules for playing. “Date pyramid up! 10 paces.Crystals only!”

  7. mariana Says:

    Lovely,excelent. text maekito, makes me nostalgic.
    But I am sorry, I wont bet, cause I always loose, same as you.

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