Cannonball!

July 19, 2012 at 4:44 pm · Filed under Good stuff, Mostly true, Poems ·Tagged cannonball dive, Charles L. Mashburn, high diving board, http://dversepoets.com/2012/07/19/meeting-the-bar-the-best-of/, poetry, six years old, writer

I know every guy reading this–well almost every guy–was once this 6-9 year-old boy overlooking the world from the high diving board at the town pool. I can promise you, I did not write this poem using second-hand information. I’m submitting it to dVerse Poet Pub’s, Meeting the Bar: Best of , this evening. Once again, they’ve played right into my hands, asking for the “best of”. Not only do I consider this one of my better poems, I recently discovered I could post an audio version of my posts, and was just chomping at the bit to present this one! (Click on the link below the poem to listen!)

Cannonball

 

The girls all scream and curse me

The boys threaten bodily harm

Soaked one and all from my cannonball

I toss them some toothless charm

 

Six years of age and afraid of nothing

I scramble up the high ladder again

Stand on the board overlooking the world

Drying fast in a hot summer wind

 

A glorious day I’m thinking

Looking down at the sparkling pool

In the shallow end, little brothers        

Horsing ‘round and acting the fool

 

Ah, but the audience below me

Jealous disdain in their eyes

Shouting and calling me names

Tis my bravery they truly despise

 

Without warning I leap from the board

As one they gasp at my daring

I fly through the air, grinning wide

No teeth in the front, but not caring

 

I hit the water with a solid kerplunk

Knees hugged up tight to my chin

When I break water to a chorus of insults

I know I’ve soaked them all again

 

Copyright © 1998 C. Mashburn

Click here to hear the author read this poem —>

 

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