When I was very young
In our back yard was this big hole
Grown ups called it a pond
I was to young to know
It was surrounded by very old trees
That stood tall on three sides
And every chance I ever got
I would play at it's side
It was teaming with such life
It was a world all it's own
Oh how I loved to come to this place
For me, it was home
There was this one bug who could stand on the water
Right on the end of his tiny tippy toes
He never did drown because he never did fall
What he was I never did know
He would simply land on the water and stand
Then like a skater he would skate all about
This creature it amazed me well
And if you were very still, others too would come out
There was another bug that lived under the water
He would spiral up and down as he came up for air
I caught one once with a very quick hand
And I met him as I held him there
He had very large paddles on his legs for feet
This helped him to swim around
He didn't seem to like it at all in my hand
So in the water I put him back down
There was this lizard who lived under the leaves in the water
Mr Whiskers he was to me
He had these long whiskers on the sides of his face
The water was clear, He was easy to see
There were fish of all kinds and crawfish and turtles
Life was so abundant within this small pond
It taught me life and as well taught me death
For both existed upon
There was this one crawfish that had many eggs
I caught her and put her in a pail
I was only five years old but I fed her everyday
One day, there were a hundred babies as well
There was this small snake that had caught this frog
The frog, it fought to survive
The snake it swallowed the frog it whole
I met death for the first in my life
I loved this small pond and spent many hours on end
All creatures in it they were my friends
But one day when I came home from school
I found it had come to an end
I looked and found the pond it was gone
For progress was meant to build homes
I cried that day when my friends they all died
And for a long time stayed all alone
Now sometimes when I visit my mother
I walk out to where it once was
I realize God had meant of this with me to share
I am what I am because it once was
And as well was I so there.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem