As boys we eagerly awaited the ripening of horse chestnuts. We would gather them up and drill holes in them, tie a shoelace through the hardest one and test its longevity by smacking an opponents chestnut on another shoelace. Great fun costing nothing


Chestnuts

Leaves browned edged and falling
Spiked green clusters ripening to gold
Time to find a conker searching
The perfect one In autumn cold

Must be big and strong just so you know
The shoelace threaded through its middle
A conker to break its weaker foe
And so be idolized and win the title

Fall was so much more than now
Boys grew to men in games of strength
Tempered by friendships which bestow
A crown hardwon by shoelace length



Poetry by josephus The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 609 times
Written on 2017-09-24 at 19:31

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shells
This is a lovely piece of nostalgia, I remember those lovely times. I'm fortunate to have a beautiful Horse Chesnut tree at the end of my garden, the "conkers" have been falling for a couple of weeks now. My neighbour is a primary school teacher and I always give her some as she likes to teach her class about the tree , which is lovely, shame the game is banned at school though.
2017-09-25


jim The PoetBay support member heart!
I love it, love it for you simple elegance, and for the memories, of which mine are rich with battle and hearth.
2017-09-24


ken d williams The PoetBay support member heart!
Bavo! Happy memories! Nothing quite like a game of conkers, nuts hadand , use of vinger, conkers left to harden, oven baked, game on!
Ken
2017-09-24