Fourth Edit - The Fearful Age

[71degrees]

Walking by the creek we cast our wary eyes
toward tightly tangled briars and thickened roots
looming up to trip us; we seek strong limbs
to hold ourselves upright, the thick mud
pulling, grasping firmly at our heavy boots.

Far ahead, just past downed trees and brambles,
rock to rock the children leap and rush,
entranced by toads and backward sprinting crayfish.
Their shrieks and laughter rise into the air,
and mix with raucous singing of the wren and thrush.

Somehow we’re prey to cautiousness; we, too,
in youth ran wild among these vines and trees,
building leafy forts to dream and play in,
chasing water snakes and catching minnows
far downstream from danger or unease.

With wild exuberance of youth now tamed and broken
we, rigid, step away from pleasures calling;
how distant we have grown from the flush of early years
when we danced alone and raced through open fields,
back when we were not afraid of falling.

Brought back some nice memories for me. Pleasant read. There is an older poet, Richard Eberhart, you may be interested in reading. Frost gets all the attention but Eberhart was a Pulitzer winner also, and rightfully so. "The Eclipse" is one of my all-time favorites. Would love to hear this read. Metered poems are meant to be heard. Would almost like to see the "idea" of the last line incorporated into the title somehow. This poem is worthy of a better title