Busy Boys

By using rhymes and paintings, I hope I give you a good idea of the way that boys and girls played years ago, before there were televisions, video games and computers.
Busy Boys
There were toys to make
Hay to rake
Whistles to whittle
Tin can for a kettle
Rubber for slingshots
Cans for crab and tansy pots
A need to build toy boats
And chasing old stinky goats
Mixing pies from the mucks
And building toy trucks
In the spring the snow melts
We have to make stilts
Hockey sticks from crooked trees
Boat builders used them for knees
Playing hide and seek
You wouldn’t find some for a week
There were slides to ride
Crab apples to hide
Catching frogs in the bogs
Carving boats from short logs
Playing hopscotch, piddley and four corner chush
Building old smoky camps on the hill in the bush
Pushing our rollers, bikes and barrel hoops
Stealing crab apples – oops!
Catching old stinky, sticky conners
Pushing snow off the ice with our slide runners
Our mothers used to say sometimes we were harden
Because we were late coming home from Am Perry’s garden
Going berry picking at Island Pond Brook
Bologna and capelin on a smoky fire to cook
Some would drink tea, enjoy it and whistle
Most of us had good old lemon crystal
Trouting had to be the best fun of all
We wanted to do it winter, spring, summer and fall
Catching conners, flatties, sculpins, capelin, tom cods and squid
We used homemade jiggers from hot melted lead
Squid jigging was dirty, disgusting and caused quite a fuss
But that was just right for boys like us
Climbing rocks, cliffs, old barns and trees
Getting spanked on going home for having pants with no knees
On the wharfs after supper with no adults around
Thanks be to God that none of us drowned
Killing the gannets that came to our barrel head for scraps
In the afternoon going with fishermen to their traps
Borrowing the old punt from old Mr. Ed
And going out in the evening to jig us some squid
Playing spotlight at night
On windy days flying a kite
Chasing Jack-O-Lantern and spooks
Wearing tin cans on our boots
Tying old coats and brin bags behind our bikes was a must
That way we could fly lots of dust
We were always on the run
Having some kind of fun
Doing all the above was exciting and cool
It’s a wonder we found time to turn up at school
I think for now that’s enough of my garbles
Before some of you think I have lost my MARBLES!
2 Comments
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Hi Edwin this is norm howell. We haven’t forgot about the painting you were going to paint for us and also when all this virus crapbis over we will stop by for some more paintings you have already done as well thank you norm and amanda.7
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What a lively and nostalgic poem! It captures the joys and adventures of childhood in a simpler time, where kids were free to play and explore the world around them. From making toys and tools out of everyday objects to fishing and playing games, the boys in the poem were always on the move and having fun.
There’s also a sense of community in the poem, with the boys borrowing boats and punts from older neighbors, and gathering with friends to play and share meals. And while they may have gotten into trouble or been scolded by their mothers for being late, it’s clear that their adventures were worth it.
Overall, this poem is a reminder of the importance of play and imagination in childhood, and how these experiences shape us into the adults we become.