Virginia Is For Families

Bio

He retired at fifty and recently began blogging to avoid having too much free time and perhaps going out of his mind.  A dead poet who has not yet introduced himself formally now inhabits his brain and helps him write poetry.

The blogger lives with his beautiful wife and three dogs in Richmond, Virginia. He and his wife have five children and six grandchildren at last count. They travel a great deal and these adventures are documented in his blog Virginia Breeze.

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The music (above) and the poem go together. The music is longer than the poem reading so you may want to read it more than once.

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Bugs

When he was eight in the 50’s

His gang dug long ditches

And covered them

With boards and dirt.

You needed a password to get in.

His mother was afraid.

Her child was underground

And possibly food for worms

If the construction methods

Were not up to date.

So he was sentenced to the back yard

Alone. Behind some bushes

He dug his own place

But had no boards so used

A few branches and straw.

Then his little sister wandered by

And fell through the ceiling and cried.

His father felt he had tried to capture her

In a pit like a wild animal

So he was beaten with a belt

In the cellar and he cried.

Later he went out in the yard

And relaxed in the grass

With his arms thrown wide

Looking at the sky

Letting the mosquitoes bite

Until it didn’t hurt anymore.

The bites became kisses

And the pain went away.

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A few days later he became ill

And his mother was alarmed.

She called the doctor

And he called the hospital.

The boy went there for weeks

And nearly died.

Peacefully.

He had a nice time

A vacation as everyone

Sat by his bed.

Perhaps even thought

About the place he might go

And all his new friends

Amid safe construction

Methods. Underground.

Recovery was slow

But he ran once again.

And his parents learned

A valuable lesson.

Don’t hold too close

The ones whom you love.

Or you may find

They have left you

Above.

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Bugs is a submission to Poets Wear Prada for an Anthology Selection- BUGS

Update// So what’s up?  Did you all fall asleep?  What do you think about this post?  Is it just plain idiotic?  Does it relate to anything you ever experienced?  What do you think?

Or are you sleeping at your keyboard?  Has passivity taken over your life?  Are you dreaming about next summer already?  What’s happening there boys and girls?  I can’t HEAR you?