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Odin odin@aflx.com

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Books
· Perceptions

· ECHOSIS

· Prosetry at Work

· Said and Unsaid - Vol 1

· 3 WAY MIRROR


Short Stories
· Patience Waning

· Ladle Lines (A prosetry memory)

· A Gentle Man

· Pacing Love's Journey

· Gratitude

· A Sticky Conversation

· Blazing Now and Then

· Vulnerable Captivity

· The Kite That Would Not Bow

· Time


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· A Place...

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· Organs Anonymous

· Fatuous Beyond Absurdity

· Truth is One


Poetry
· The Life-long Pernicious Evil

· Cherishing Sounds of Silence

· Understanding the Unexplainable

· Reality of Another Kind

· Finding Trust Again

· Aromalicious Memories

· A Jungle-rain Pastorale

· Sediment Within the Soul

· Life's Enormous Green Chest

· Roadkill Memoriam

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Ollie Ollie Oxen Free

by Odin odin@aflx.com — Read all 3,869 poems by Odin odin@aflx.com

How much of learning’s innocence can we afford to trust in our adult life? (Sculpture by Daniel Arsham)

Thursday, February 27, 2014


Poem Artwork
Ollie Ollie Oxen Free
by Odin Roark

Corners to peer around
The harlequin of angles
Where peeking
Reveals
Where being stuck
Confines
Where feeling trapped
Separates

Our remembered child stands
Eyes squeezed shut
Face buried where two walls meet
Counting to one-hundred

While confidence sought
To play out our innocence
Beneath
Behind
Beside
A trusted game
Waned

Time passed
Shorts became pants
Pants became suits

Nostalgia echoed once more
“Ollie ollie oxen free”

Still we remained
Unwilling to believe
The forged sincerity
Baited with fiendish smile
Enticed with charm
Was but to set up
The next furtive trap

Suddenly
Acquiescence lay naked
Villainous schemers
Knowing but numbers
Who lured
Cajoled
Seduced
Our reluctance to cave
Are…

Later

We dragged ourselves away
Kicking and screaming
“We only wanted to play the game
Not be the game”

Emptiness invaded
Freedom to respond
To return home
To trust a voice
Wasn’t so
Anymore

Ollie ollie oxen free
So simple
So everlasting
Now but an epitaph

   
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  3.  Nightsky
  4.  Reality of Another Kind
  5.  Life's Enormous Green Chest
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  7.  Kindness
  8.  Luxury of Solitude
  9.  Our Restless Minds
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Reviewed by Michael True
Reviewed on March 6, 2014
I'm getting so tired of playing the game, dodging the daggers and walking on eggs... from the song, "Wash Me Away" by M.True
Reviewed by Tao Chi
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
Just because one has reached adulthood does not mean innocence is lost. Nor is it lost when one has gone through hell and back. Because according to my husband it was this old woman's innocence that he saw in me and attracted him. He still mentions it. I don't understand what he sees nor really means, just going by what my man has said to me. Or I could just be a trusting fool and he thought he could sing sweet lullabies of lies and I would never know.
Reviewed by Eileen Granfors
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
This goes into my "sad but true" file. I love the way you use words and phrases: "harlequin/of angles" and the prepositions in the second stanza are but two of your apt images.
Reviewed by John Martin
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
All ye All ye urchins free
Reviewed by Ronald Hull
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
"All the outs in free" or some other translation until childhood's lost and the game becomes very real. At least that's what I feel. But I'm usually wrong.

Ron

Ali Ollie Umphree and out…
Reviewed by steve patterson
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
Wow. this is an exceptional write. Powerful. Thank you for sharing. Innocence is a terrible virtue to lose. Unfortunately, most of us do.
Reviewed by Sandie May Joyce (Sandie Angel)
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
so true. You have a very unique way in writing your poetry. I like it.

Sandie
Reviewed by Jerry Bolton
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
Yep. We certainly "are" the game it seems.
Reviewed by Mary Ann Biddinger
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
~Odin~
It was a game of freedom and innocense...sadly the trust was empty.

Lady Mary Ann
Reviewed by Mr. Ed
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
“We only wanted to play the game
Not be the game”

How so sadly true for so many.
Reviewed by Budd Nelson
Reviewed on February 28, 2014
sadly so very true
bud

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