I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

24 Comments

Tags:
  • Philosophy
    • ,
  • Friendship

    Poem Commentary

    UPA TRAGEDY CHALLENGE ..
    I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE ..
    THIS IS FOR MY DEAR FRIEND HAMPTON

    I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

     Growing up .. no direction
    Mom always gone working her job
    Dad .. M.I.A.
    One grandmother .. fine lady she was
    One grandfather .. murderer .. doing time

    I'm a sibling of many
    We'd lived in the stench filled
    Liquor stockroom in back of mom's bar
    A single, small iron bed
    A tiny window overhead
    I'd four violent brothers
    My baby sister didn't know how to act
    I'd slept on the bare billiards table
    To freely think at night .. after the bar closed

    Age nine .. i'd to hold the family funds
    I'd caught mom's good natured boyfriends
    Stand up men .. they were at one time
    Red hands in her purse .. time and time again
    Imagine the drunken, humiliated expressions
    Honor dissipated .. no escape to be had

    Age eleven .. purchased a used lawn mower
    With all the savings i had in the world
    Cut lawns to feed my siblings
    Happy my family had a bite to eat
    Nights i'd went to bed hungry .. comforted

    Time passed .. i'd entered marriage
    Baby brother and baby sister in tow
    They weren't baggage
    As my my mom-in-law
    Had desperately tried to convince
    They're a part of me .. i am someone

    One brother chose the Navy over jail
    Two underage brothers left Louisiana
    On the run for minor offenses
    Discipline .. a mere word in a book
    Later, one brother made his home in prison
    Another had left us for his last motorcycle ride

    From an early age on i'd written poetry
    To ease my overburdened mind
    This rare, literary path led me
    To meet an unusual, kind man
    Perhaps my dad's age 
    I'm not ashamed to say
    He has unwittingly become
    My dad .. grandad .. great grandad
    I'd never known before

    Copyright © September 2009
    StandingBear

    UPA TRAGEDY CHALLENGE

    Poem Comments

    (24)

    Please login or register

    You must be logged in or register a new account in order to
    leave comments/feedback and rate this poem.

    Login or Register

    Krystle commented on I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

    03-02-2011

    This remind's me so much of my childhood it's breathtaking! I love the way you are able to put expressions and feelings so deeply into words and still through out the entire piece your following each bit of the poem to the end perfectly goes together and deeply shows the truth and pain within that you have embedded in your heart. Those times without food but your brothers ate you actually smiled because it was them you cared more about then your self.. The times you stood up for them taking them along making sure they were alright you were afraid but you stood the fight. I love this and I appreciate you sharing it. God Bless!!
    Reply to Comment

    StandingBear

    03/04/2011

    No child should ever have to live a childhood like this, childhood disappears way ahead of the time it should. It's all true and then some, yes I smiled knowing my siblings would be ok, they've all grown up now and turned out pretty good so i'm glad I made what sacrifices I made back then. Of course I was afraid, yet there was no one else there for them. Thank you for your keen insight, reading, and commenting. God Bless!!

    Hiporlacking commented on I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

    01-30-2010

    . I found this evocative and somewhat parallel to my own upbringing. Cheers Brother. May we figure out...what it's all about...one of these days.
    Reply to Comment

    StandingBear

    01/31/2010

    Thank you HOL for your insightful comments!

    mbryant53 commented on I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

    01-12-2010

    Sometimes we meet fellow souls as I have now met you. My orphaned childhood flashed before me as I read this one. Bravo!
    Reply to Comment

    StandingBear

    01/14/2010

    Yes, it's great meeting you mbryant! Though i wasn't orphaned it's similar, i was simply left on my own. Glad you made it too! Thanks mbryant!

    laurilang5 commented on I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

    01-04-2010

    Thank you for this touching and too real poem. Excellent imagery, I could practically smell the bar stench. "...Red hands in her purse.." Haunting me with memories, well done!
    Reply to Comment

    StandingBear

    01/04/2010

    Thank you laurilang5 for your insightful comments! Sorry about the bar stench.

    cmlestrade commented on I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE

    01-02-2010

    I am not at all surprised. There is a saying among the my people, mostly the women. You gotta do what you gotta do. A relative told me the story of how trouble had come and she needed $10.00. Her husband was off sharecropping. She had two skirts neither of which fit. She sewed them together then went to all the big farms asking these very wonderful people for a job to earn the money. She would not accept charity. They gave her silly easy chores to be sure she earned the money because they knew it was pitiful. when I asked why she said you gotta do what you gotta do. You certainly did and I bet your younger siblings thank god for that.
    Reply to Comment

    StandingBear

    01/02/2010

    Thank you cmlestrade for your kind comments and wondrous memories. I'm honored to be one of your 10 yesterday.

    When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

    John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA

    StandingBear’s Poems (95)

    Title Comments Submitted
    Title Comments Submitted
    Soft Flowers 0 02/03/2015
    Dainty Flowers 0 01/30/2015
    Memories Of Flowers 0 01/30/2015
    Various Flowers 0 01/23/2015
    Tender Flowers 1 01/23/2015
    Lovely Flowers 0 01/23/2015
    Pondering .. Flowers 0 01/22/2015
    Beauty of Flowers 0 01/22/2015
    Flowers Many Colors 0 01/13/2015
    Searing My Senses .. I Refuse To Wake 0 12/03/2014
    You Smile .. Making Me Forget Sadness Ever Existed 0 12/01/2014
    Wandering Aimlessly 0 12/01/2014
    I Know I'm Conscious .. Daydreaming 0 12/01/2014
    Upon The Horizon .. Another Tomorrow 0 12/01/2014
    No Rush .. No End In Sight 4 02/09/2014
    Until I made It Back Home 5 10/28/2013
    UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN 3 08/10/2013
    Black Shirt .. Black Tux .. Black Tie 1 06/26/2013
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XVIIII 0 05/27/2012
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XVIII 0 05/19/2012
    Four Difficult Seasons .. Many Moons .. Since 2 04/25/2012
    Ziltitianna 2 04/25/2012
    Tiella 0 04/24/2012
    Lussrina 0 04/24/2012
    Sreniealla 0 04/24/2012
    April .. Till Then 0 04/20/2012
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XVII 4 05/18/2011
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XVI 1 03/13/2011
    Against All Odds 19 02/17/2011
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XV 4 02/13/2011
    Endom Bridge 10 02/09/2011
    Scream Loud .. Their Names 24 01/29/2011
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XIV 8 01/19/2011
    Let There Be No Pretending 28 01/09/2011
    Earth Peace 19 01/01/2011
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part XIII 8 01/01/2011
    Merry Christmas 10 12/25/2010
    Jienila 15 12/13/2010
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part Xll 7 12/10/2010
    Ravishiea 12 11/30/2010
    Your Progress 23 11/18/2010
    You're My Dear Friend 30 10/27/2010
    But An Innocent Child 27 10/21/2010
    Many Winters Since Then 13 10/20/2010
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part Xl 12 10/04/2010
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part X 13 09/09/2010
    Mars Delight .. Venus Delicacy Part Vllll 9 08/10/2010
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part Vlll 14 07/14/2010
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part Vll 15 06/08/2010
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part Vl 12 04/21/2010
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part V 16 03/25/2010
    THE FINAL DECISIONS 24 02/02/2010
    INTO THEM .. INTO ME .. INTO YOU 54 01/22/2010
    THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER 25 01/17/2010
    PRISTINE LAND 19 01/10/2010
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY PART lV 16 12/28/2009
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part lll 21 12/28/2009
    EVERYONE'S MOOD WAS .. ME .. ME .. ME 32 12/28/2009
    I'D NEVER KNOWN BEFORE 24 12/28/2009
    YET THEY'RE FREE 15 12/28/2009
    FREEDOM RINGS 18 12/28/2009
    BEACH .. OCEAN .. SEAGULLS 20 12/28/2009
    LIVE TONIGHT .. FROM THE BBC 14 12/28/2009
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part ll 12 12/28/2009
    I'M GOOD .. I'M BAD 19 12/28/2009
    UNRULY NEIGHBORS ARE OBNOXIOUS 8 08/30/2009
    MERELY TIME 10 12/28/2009
    MARS DELIGHT .. VENUS DELICACY Part l 16 12/28/2009
    PEOPLE IN MY HOMETOWN ~ THE GREATER BALANCE 10 12/28/2009
    PEOPLE IN MY HOMETOWN 14 12/10/2009
    TO WATCH THE SUNSET 14 08/18/2009
    NEEDLESS PROVOCATION .. UNCENSORED RESPONSE 27 08/05/2009
    LONG AGO 17 07/29/2009
    WHILST ALONE 21 12/28/2009
    ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME 27 07/04/2009
    MOOT POINT 21 11/06/2009
    Priority Red .. Priority Blue 14 07/02/2009
    UPA MALE MOVIE STAR CHARACTER CHALLENGE ~ SHAKEN - NOT STIRRED 11 06/24/2009
    UPA PICTURE CHALLENGE ~ ISN'T THERE A CIRCUS COMING TO TOWN ? 11 12/20/2009
    UPA FORUM CHALLENGE ~ "BLACK - VARIOUS MEANDERINGS" 9 12/20/2009
    FEW KNOW OF 21 12/28/2009
    NO ONE CAN DRIVE 18 06/17/2009
    AND ONLY ONE BULLET 33 12/10/2009
    NEAR THE OLD RAILWAY STATION 12 12/28/2009
    THE FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN 25 12/28/2009
    BEYOND THE GLASS CEILING 11 06/10/2009
    OF HIS IMAGE 16 06/10/2009
    THEM - YOU - OR ME 16 06/04/2009
    IN THE EARTH 24 12/28/2009
    AND I .. YOU 21 12/28/2009
    YELLOW DAWN 85 05/14/2009
    PEACE 31 12/28/2009
    PSYCHEDELIC TRIP 31 12/10/2009
    HE'D NEVER WON AN OSCAR 19 04/30/2009
    Pink Roses Rested In Her Hands 33 11/29/2009
    Top of Page