Reflections of Childhood

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

“Reflections of Childhood”

Dearest Sonya Jeanne, may I share with you a few memories of my early childhood?

I remember playing outside in the sunshine alone on the cement sidewalk of Sweet Avenue.

And, all of a sudden, a big cloud that I didn’t even see coming,

Suddenly passed in front of the sun

And it left me under its deep shadow,

“casting me into its outer darkness.” (see Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30, KJV)

And I noticed a sudden change in my feelings: a feeling of gloom came upon me.

I did not know the word gloom at such a young age; but, I suddenly felt the emotion of gloom.

And then, the cloud would pass away from before the sun and the sun would shine on me again.

And, just like that, the gloom would go away; and I felt better again, in the sunshine, no longer doomed.

And another inner experience I had playing outside on Sweet Avenue had to do with the Earth.

In the winter time, I noticed that my little hand shovel couldn’t get into the earth.

The Earth was as hard as a Rock and I couldn’t do anything with Her.

But, when Spring came along, the earth would soften, and my little shovel could go into the Earth again.

I enjoyed the Earth when She was soft, much better than when She was hard as rock.

And one more thing I remember while playing on Sweet Avenue was the twelve o’clock whistle;

At least that’s what my dad called it.

It was a siren that went off at noon every day from the high tower of a fire station far far away at the corner of Elm and Social Streets and out of sight. Didn’t even know where it came from until dad told me, later.

The siren would start to increase in loudness gradually; and then it would get strongly loud; then gradually fade in volume until it was quiet again, until tomorrow. Sonya Jeanne, You have been so quiet to me for such a long time . . .

I remember noticing a feeling, an emotion, from the sound of the siren fading away…

It was a forlorn feeling I got from that sound; even though I did not know the word forlorn at the time, I felt it, the emotion of forlornness.

I’m thinking now of a writer for The Woonsocket Call back in the 1970s and 1980s: Frank Visgatis.

I used to enjoy his Random Reflections column on the Editorial Page.

I guess this is like that: Reflections of Childhood.

Believe his Random Reflections column was published on Saturdays.

Today is Saturday, March 17, 2018: Saint Patrick’s Day.

Dearest Sonya Jeanne, may I enjoy the sunshine of your presence again? Would you kindly remove the cloud and the shadow and the gloom I feel when your love is not shining on me. “Sweet Avenue” is not so sweet without you, Sonya.

Sonya, please soften the Earth; for it is Springtime again, Love.

And Sonya: Let your siren call again, as loud as can be;

or as soft and gentle as your loving heart must be.

For, I could not love thee

if you did not love me.

Sonya, was it You watching over me on Sweet Avenue when I was a little boy; sending me these emotions, playing upon my little heart with your light and your shadow and your siren calls; making the Earth hard in Winter and soft and kind in Spring?

Was it you, Sonya Doah?

“Oh Shenandoah, I love your daughter,” Your daughter, Sonya Doah.

(from the song: Oh Shenandoah)

. . . there is something in that song about leaving

But, please understand . . . I don’t ever want to leave you; nor you leave me.

Let us always be together

Joined together/United forever.

“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” -Mark 10:9 KJV

Sonya, 10/9 . . . October 9th, your birthday!

 

March 21, 2018 The first full day of Spring.

Thank you to The Brothers Four and to YouTube.com for the song Shenandoah on this page.