Slice of Life: A Bright Wire

(This is part of the Slice of Life weekly writing activity with Two Writing Teachers)

The other day, I was watching this child just move through the space we were in, all in a world of their own. It was as if no one else were there. And I remembered that feeling, too, suddenly and out of the blue. I had this phrase “live wire” in my head from the last sentence of some New Yorker article, and out of that, I began to write this poem of childhood and adulthood, and the act of observing through the lens of memory.

I used Storybird to use the text of the poem as a picture book (although, I am not sure if work as I wanted it to work. The images don’t quite match up to what I had in my head.)

I also podcasted out the poem, as I often do.

Thanks for reading and listening and observing my poem. I hope you, too, are a live wire.

Peace (in the poem),
Kevin

6 Comments
  1. Your image of the bright and dim wires is a vivid one that certainly does describe the energy of youth and the dimming that comes with age and life. I love how you capture the hope and promise of your bright and lively wire filled with hope and potential.

  2. Oh, how I love this! My youngest daughter is a “live wire”. Oh boy, is she. This is great – I love the line where you wanted to stop him “in the span of a thought he fails to notice.” I love that line so much.

    And by the way, I think you’re far from a dull wire!

  3. I loved the line, “we are just aging watchers…” Wow. What do we know about the wonders in front of these kiddos?

    Beautiful poem, Kevin.

  4. Wow. Embers softly glowing, what do we know. Love those phrases. This works beautifully. All parts of if. Love the illustrations the words and hearing your words. Thank you Kevin.

  5. “this bright wire of boyhood” — love it. Perfectly captures the wonder of watching a child embracing the wonder of their own movement. Brilliant.

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