Wallyroo92

Apr 03, 2026 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

This poem is part of the challenge:

04/26 Earliest Childhood Memory

(Read More...)

A Childhood with Better Lighting

Rewriting Memories

Never mind the bombs or images of war
Or the blind kid on the bus singing trying to make a living
How did we neglect the hungry and the destitute and the old?
But time does not forget
It just plays in a private theater
Like a matinee waiting for me to come in and watch

Amidst all that chaos and madness
There was a beautiful, picturesque sense to it all
In the open road
Or plazas people went about their way
Beyond color and smell
More than taste and touch
Like music
Some of those brighter recollections overshadow the sad

But I never forgot about that boy
Clothes torn
Hanging on singing with a gifted voice until the next bus stop
Collecting whatever he could
My grandmother giving me a few coins to place in his hand
A life lesson in understanding - how good we had it

Maybe he grew up to be man
And found a way to make a living
And found someone to love him
And had children of his own
But in rewriting this memory
I wish I could have given more

— Wallyroo92, Apr 03, 2026

About This Poem

Last Few Words: NaPoWriMo2026 Day 3

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: Is the internal logic consistent?

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: California, US, USA

Favorite Poets: Maya Angelou, William Carlos Williams, Pablo Neruda, Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, Charles Bukowski, Alfredo Espino, Roque Dalton and several more.

Critiques

Lavender

2 months ago

A Childhood With Better Lighting

Hello, Wally,

So relatable. A significant memory, and such a valuable lesson and awakening.

Thank you,

Wallyroo92

1 week 2 days ago

A Childhood With Better Lighting

Thank you so much Lavender.

This is one of those things that stuck with me over the years. You tend to wonder whatever became of those people who captured something in you.

Eliza

2 months ago

Such a great title!

You really hit the mark here and made me want to read your poem. You write with sophistication and leave me really wanting to know what happened to the boy.

Well done on a great poem!

Eliza

Wallyroo92

1 week 2 days ago

A Childhood with Better Lighting

Eliza,

Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comment. This year's NaPoWriMo challenge was a little tougher for me because I had to dig deep into old poems and memories. It was not uncommon for kids to get on buses and sing because they were trying to earn a living, but the blind kid got to me.

Geezer

2 months ago

Wow...

this is amongst your best Wally. I wanted to read your story, and when I had; I too, wanted to know what happened to that boy! I felt the flow of life around you, and the image of that boy, is now in my head. Well-done! ~ Geez.

Wallyroo92

1 week 2 days ago

A Childhood with Better Lighting

Thank you so much Geez for reading and commenting.

I had a pretty normal childhood up until the civil war in my country turned ugly. Even then, people just go accustomed to shoot outs, bombs, dead bodies, etc, etc. There was poverty, but there was also just daily living, open markets, music, food, and all that. Not sure why those who were destitute or needy captured me every time I was out. I don't remember the song that boy sang but he should had a beautiful voice. He'd be about 55+ years old now, so I wonder what became of his life.

Candlewitch

1 month 2 weeks ago

Dear Wally,

this is a very tender write. I admire your sensitivity. Great job all 'round!

fondly, Cat

Wallyroo92

1 week 2 days ago

A Childhood with Better Lighting

Thank you Cat. I'm not sure why I'm like that sometimes. Perhaps it was what my grandmother taught me, what the church in those days taught as well. Having compassion and empathy for others has been a main focus when it comes to living and writing.