Childhood Phantom

We have a guest blogger in my fourteen year old sister, Elisabeth! I came home from work and the laptop was on our bedroom loveseat and she was tip-tapping away, she pushed it towards me. "That's how I feel." So, we talked. The we agreed I would share her words on the blog...


The Phantom of My Childhood
By Elisabeth Feehan


Silently you stand looking out the window


You watch the swing sway in the breeze

The grass

The flowers

The trees

Suddenly you hear your name called

You look to see

But no one is calling

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back





Walking down a corridor

It is long

Dark

Dusty

Suddenly you feel a chill

And you hear your name being called

You look

To see a little white frock

Disappearing around door frame

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back



At the dinner table

You sit

And watch those older than you

Talk they say things so peculiar

You cannot understand a single word

Suddenly you hear

Your name being called

You look to see a pair of eyes probing you

From around the door frame

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back





Lying in bed

You hear creek

A squeak

You take a peek

And dive back under the covers

And suddenly you hear

Your name being called

Through the darkness

You look to see a little hand gripping

Around the door frame

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back



Looking in the bakery window

See the pastries steaming

Suddenly you hear your name

Being called

And across the street you see

A little head peering

From around the door frame

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back



Standing in a pretty dress

Clasping a on a pretty watch

You suddenly hear your name

Being called

You turn to look

And see a little child standing

Around the door frame

It is the phantom of your childhood calling you back



It says to you

“Why did you leave?

“Can’t you see we were so good together?

“Why did you ever grow old?

“Don’t go so fast.

“Stay little just a little longer.

“Why do you need to grow old?

“Why should you leave me in the doorway?

“Why can’t you stay with me forever and ever?

“We could live happily ever after.”



You turn your head

You look away

You feel a tug

And look again

The phantom of your childhood

Pleas to you,

“Please never grow old

“Never get tall

“Stay little with me

“We can play with each other

“Forever and ever.”



Suddenly you hear

Your name being called

By the incarnation of teenage years

Saying, “do come quickly”

“We have places to go”

“Things to do”

“A world to see”

You look one last time

And see the final tears in your childhood’s eyes

As it asks

“What have I done to you?

“Why can’t you stay with me?”