Melinda Gohn is a co-founder of the Maui Live Poets Society.  She is also “Ocean Tutu” (Grandma) to her grandson Montgomery.  One summer, eleven years ago, she was able to steal him away all for her own self.  It was a memorable time for both of them and this poem came out of the experience.

Montgomery’s all grown now, but his little-boy self lives on in this poem.

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LITTLE BOY SUMMER

 

Cruising into my life this July

you look so much like your daddy my

heart sometimes catches and

my throat fills – as

 

I watch your boy strong body

stretch all its eleven years onto 

surfboards and boogie boards and

skim boards –

 

now you’re so cool that if the surf’s

under two feet you look disappointed

and I know your step will be

sure now  – and your shoulders strong

 

I listen to your treble voice eagerly

questioning why the rogue waves are so

big  – and  – if they will come into

Lahaina ?? –  and watch your tangled brown hair

 

and agate-bright eyes wonder at

the endless ocean –  as snorkeling, we stalk

brightly colored reef-fish and oddly friendly turtles. At night,

we mimic the geckos stalking the ceiling

 

above the small bed you use in my

den, occupied by poems and books and blankets

and the old TV – and we talk story as the

summer moon crosses again over this old cottage roof

 

and we live here by the sea – you and me

like a dream from long ago  – preparing your small feet 

for your life travel – feet – so like my mother’s-

growing longer with each footstep.

  [July 21, 2005, Lahaina House], © Melinda Gohn, 2005

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Picture credit:  Footprints In the Sand by Chad Goddard via Flickr [CC BY-ND 2.0]

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Please note:  If you would like to contribute a poem to this blog, please let me know by leaving a comment below.  I’d be happy to hear from you.

I do ask three things of my guest poets:

• a poem of your own making that has great meaning and mana for you,
• the back-story for the poem — what inspired you or how you made it or whatever you want to tell about it, and
• an image that I can use as the featured photo in the header. (The last is optional. I do ask that the image you share is one you own — either an image of yourself or something that relates to the poem.  If you choose not to send an image, then I’ll go find something that works.)

If you click on this thing –> “Guest Poet Portal” you can submit a poem right now.

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