blue hill

by. rsj

we were stopped because there were too many of us

unaware of what it meant to be stopped

simply laughing in anticipation of the destination

i always ran, trying to be first

taking great pride in my ability to climb rocks

we’d feed the ducks and watch the owls and bees

see the display of how people used to live

life was filled with the simple things

i missed the bus, i liked rose quartz

i had a friend named diane who lived down the street

we wore our cultural dresses for an international festival

at merrymount elementary

there was a john and a caroline

chinese checkers, quincy junior high

recess meant hopscotch, drawing with chalk

there were twins in my pre-k class

it was hard to tell them apart

mrs o’malley was very nice

she gave birthstone gifts

i got an emerald something

there may have been a beetle in amber

i was complimented for my handwriting

scholastic fairs were the best

we would file in and buy little trinkets

there was a stop & shop commercial or ad of sorts we had to be in

i remember holding up the ampersand

my mom was thrilled about it

i loved stuffed animals

had rows and rows of them

teenybabies, barbies, brats

my bed was very big, i could roll around from end to end

once i had a sleepover with a sleeping bag on top of it

reading was fun

curious george, madeline, make way for the ducks

there was a library with a reading corner

and one with a dinosaur hanging from the ceiling

i brought piles of books

and enjoyed the ducks statues at boston commons

i had a purple transparent nintendo with a little light

and was told it would worsen my eyes

i remember iceskating and how mom got a really bad bruise

we enjoyed watching michelle kwan

the hello kitty store was a special treat

i could never choose what to get

one christmas i got hello kitty everything

santa was late with the gifts and left them in the wrong place under the bed

but it was still worth the wait

christmas in cape cod was also a blast

the tree was full of teenybabies

i picked a bulldong to add to the collection

but the blue elephant was my all time favorite

i cut its hair thinking it would grow back

and then i had to cover it with blue nail polish

my ears were pierced at some point

i may have cried in a bathroom stall

the piercings had to be dabbed with solution

my mom did it in front of the closet in the hall

when mom dropped me and grandma off at the mall

she would ask for the pizza to be warmed and we would people watch

they said we looked the same and it would make her day

the korean mart was very far

but when we went the melona bar was a must

we had a green plush futon couch that could be flattened for movie night

we had so many disneys on VHS to choose from

sometimes i would sit on the stool and munch on fresh vegetables

waiting for whatever mom was making

i remember waking up from a nap once

bawling because i thought nobody was home

but mom was doing laundry, there was nothing to worry about

i didn’t like the violin, but i liked the tri-color popcorn

i played piano, but wasn’t meant to touch the guitar on its stand

dad was good at drawing and editing photos on his computer

there was a house we visited once that had turtles

i had a fantasy about my own little nook

a treehouse where i could be alone with my thoughts

a hidden closet, a fairytale tent

a place that was just mine

one time at eunices house a kid fell in the deep end

he was rescued but i didn’t look at the pool the same again

i used to shovel worms with her brother

fascinated by the idea that they could grow back their body parts

i rescued ladybugs from the pool in our apartment

i thought they were the cutest little things

i tried to take a ladybug brooch once but had to return it

it was glittery and quite expensive

possums, penguins, and whales also captivated my attention

although when we went out to sea to watch humpback whales

the weather made it impossible and made everyone onboard feel unwell

at church i fandanced in the middle of the flower

one time we went somewhere else to do our routine

it may have been a competition

there were also stretching classes with laid out towels

i would bicycle my legs in the air

on sundays we did crafts, mom made them very fun

i lost my tooth in one class when it was cold out

the toothfairy left me money for that

i don’t think i was all that good in korean class

at the museum of fine arts

eunice and i painted blocks and made some kind of house

something amused us and we fell over laughing having trouble breathing

there was a mom who played the bassoon really well

she chased me and her kid playing scary tunes for entertainment

it was a pretty cool instrument

i remember learning how to gift wrap

that tape can be a fingerprint and dust trap

pretty corners make pretty gifts

there was a typewriter at some point

i really liked the sound the keys made

one time the bath overflowed and water went out to the carpet

the best feeling was when mom wrapped me in a towel like a blanket

running around the shipwreck playground was really fun

and caterpillars in our class undergoing metamorphosis

quincy market was one of my favorite places, and still is

the boston sail loft clam chowder in a cup is my go-to

for every boston visit

an early childhood

filled with pleasant memories..

is a gift

---

‘95-’01