From DC (oh country mine)
From DC
Oh country of the frozen chair,
so blue in 1960 air
that January asking not DC–
oh country I was barely three–
oh country of the stallion bearing
the backward boots
but three years
later–
country of resurrection city
that muddy sea, that peaceful sea,
my childhood Washington, DC,
oh dream that clamored its own name
oh country of the flames
later–
oh country mine that I have loved
that we’ve so wanted to be good
oh country we believed
so good
oh country of my green
childhood
oh country mine
************************
Draftish sort of poem for Shay Simmon’s (Fireblossom’s) prompt on Real Toads to write something of indirect focus. (I’m not phrasing that correctly.) I did grow up in Washington, D.C., and attended both JFK’s inauguration and funeral. Resurrection City was a large civil rights protest in DC in the spring of 1968; also called the Poor People’s March on Washington–
Tags: Growing up in DC in 60s poem, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, Oh Country Mine, what have we come to poem
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February 5, 2017 at 1:10 am
You have lived through interesting times, in places which have been the centres of crisis situations. How could history not be fused to your bones?
February 5, 2017 at 10:11 am
I think the Kennedy saga shaped a lot of lives from that point on, including mine.
February 5, 2017 at 3:06 pm
we weep. ~
February 5, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Yes, definitely interesting times. Lovely.
February 6, 2017 at 11:24 pm
Looking good here, K. I was at work (aerospace engineer, spy satellite tracking) at Manchester, N.H. those times, 1961-1964.
D.C, Kennedy era and its end
Changed the world, more so when ’twas over
..
D.C. was looking good last three days, beautiful still. We fly in Thursday night, our granddaughter was the producer of “The Phantom Tollbooth” Friday night at Georgetown University. She’s a sophomore there. Oh yes, we had a Capacino Saturday at the Trump Hotel. And had Friday night dinner at The Tomb.
I’m on sabbatical and not writing at my P&P Place right now. I might post tomorrow though, I’m still on for Fridays at my other blog.
..
February 6, 2017 at 11:33 pm
p.s. Lovely horse drawing. I like horses, I rode our Minnie three miles to high school my first two years. That was Nebraska country.