A remarkable throwback. I lost this work long ago but a friend had kept it and recently shared it with me.
The Playground
In my childhood filled with wonder
Was a playground in the sun,
Where I played with different people
Having lots of happy fun.
The differences don’t matter and they don’t affect the games
When you love the friendly people with the funny- sounding names.
Then later in the schoolyard when-
I met some grown up boys
They said, “You must not like those folks,
Or let them use your toys.
And furthermore you must not ever join them in their games,”
The special friendly people with the funny- sounding names.
I said, “But there’s no problem,
‘Least there’s none that I can see,
Those folks are nice and friendly
Just the same as you and me.
The differences don’t matter and they don’t affect the games
When you love the friendly people with the funny- sounding names.”
But something made them angry.
Was it something that I said?
They looked at me with hatred
And their faces turned bright red.
“We told you not to like those folks or join them in their games.”
The special friendly people with the funny- sounding names.
Now through the years I’ve seen this problem
Happen more and more—
Of people choosing sides
And even fighting in a war;
For reasons I can’t comprehend but every army blames-
The special friendly people with the funny- sounding names.
The world I see is frightened now.
The problem’s gone too far—
No children in the playground
And I don’t know where they are;
And everywhere the people fear they might be set in flames
For such a stupid reason as their funny sounding names.
I think it must be possible
To stop this thing some way-
If we can get enough of us—
Together who will say,
“The differences don’t matter and they don’t affect the games
When you love the friendly people with the funny- sounding names.”
This is amazing! And to think it was 1984, the year that George Orwell predicted that big brother would take over. At that year, my street was filled with children playing. The only playground they had because developments like mine did not provide playgrounds, just swimming pools and tennis courts.
Today, the parents of children are afraid to let them play in the street like that. People with children have moved away from this neighborhood if they can. It's a shame. The neighborhood is now very mixed culturally and much better than it was in 1984, even though those young people who moved in here then and couldn't afford the houses and left quickly or had their homes foreclosed.
It's a strange world where we conjure up hate where there isn't any. In spite of the Internet and all of the wonderful movies and TV shows bringing us together, people look at the news and think what is happening is happening to them… When it is not.
John I agree with you completely. I think though that more recent events have allowed those who do not understand this to be more openly showing their hate than only a short time ago.
budd
You, my poetical wonder with words should, I feel that you are blessed to have this fantastic piece back within your possessions after thse years. It means even more today than it did in the year of George “O.”
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
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Today, the parents of children are afraid to let them play in the street like that. People with children have moved away from this neighborhood if they can. It's a shame. The neighborhood is now very mixed culturally and much better than it was in 1984, even though those young people who moved in here then and couldn't afford the houses and left quickly or had their homes foreclosed.
It's a strange world where we conjure up hate where there isn't any. In spite of the Internet and all of the wonderful movies and TV shows bringing us together, people look at the news and think what is happening is happening to them… When it is not.
Ron
budd