Grow Up!! Mom Screamed
as she threw another dish
against the front door

I dropped my Cracker Jacks
and ran over and stood
in front of mom’s
next throw

MOM, that’s enough now!!
Put down the plate, before you hurt
someone!

She halted her rage
And began to cry
And then fainted
On the dining room floor

my Brother
and my baby Sister
run over to MOM
As I rushed out the door
Out into the street
and stopped DAD before he
put his car into gear
to leave

I pleaded with Him
“MOM has fainted!
You’ve got help . . . .
Oh Please . . . Come Back . . . .
DAD Don’t leave us!!”

HE rushed back
and held mom in his arms
Until she awoke
Or until the wounds healed
Or until the hurt sailed
Out into the open sea
You see, I Don’t Know!!

That day, I must have gone into shock
because the reason for the pain
that caused Mom’s rage
is still unknown to me
yet somehow the anger
of that day, I still hold

Oh, Yes – I do recall
That my cracker jack
days of being just a kid
were all over

I threw away my GI JOES
And my Hot Wheel Toys
Then I turned my toy box
Upside down and threw out
My Model Airplanes
my first editions
Superman, Batman
and MAD magazines
and I even gave away
my teddy bear
to the kid next door

I threw away my entire collection
of Autographed Photographs
My FAN CLUB memberships
from Bewitched
Leave-It-To-Beaver
The BOWEY BOYS
and even my Baseball cards
were trashed and gone forever!!

I threw ‘em all away
Cause I had to grow up
I had to grow up!!
And not be like
My father no more!

– Claude Barrett – March 2008