Sounds I Hear...

Sometimes, well usually, the boys dread something they have to do so they put it off until the last minute. Yesterday, Matthew had to write a blank verse poem for extra credit and he knew that although it was an option for his teacher, it wasn't for his Mom so he finally sat down to do it. He whipped it out in a mere ten minutes tops. And he was quite proud if it.

When the kids write, you really see just what it is they are thinking. In the past few years I've learned that they love time with us on 'the people magnet' (or bed) where we read together or watch television, I now know that they don't often remember the times we try to 'create a memory' as much as they just remember the times in life where laughter was the main sound you heard, and I've realized that even though they are growing older, they still absolutely love the time spent listening to me read aloud a book they'd never choose to read themselves. Hank the Cow Dog, the entire Narnia series, The Absolutely True Story of How I Visited Yellowstone Park With The Terrible Rupes, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Cal and the Anti-Gravity Machine, Raising Dragons and many more have been our nightly companions in the past few years and while I love reading out loud to them, it seems they love it even more. Who knew? :):)

Here's Matthew's latest masterpiece. It made me smile and it brought tears to my eyes. As you know Matthew felt very good about his effort. And it is good to know once again what is shaping his world. He's becoming a young man, attempting to find his place. And yet, he knows he belongs here. I am so proud. :)

Sounds I Hear
By

Matthew


Outside the sounds I hear are many,
The gentle whoosh of the wind,
The giggles of kids running and playing,
The thumps of my friends playing basketball,
And when I do the lawn,
The roar of the tractor or lawn mower
Chopping the grass into little pieces.

Inside the sounds I hear are annoying,
The voice of my brother waking me up,
The whine of my sister crying or screaming
In the middle of class,
The roar of my mother telling me
“pick up your room”!!

But after all this,
The sounds are lovely.
The opening of the door when my Dad comes home,
The sizzle and crackle of dinner being made,
The silence of resting after the gym,
The laughter as we read out loud,
And finally, the sound of nothing while trying to go to sleep.