Childhood Memories
Published: April 2020
Growing up is inevitable. No matter how much we want to hold onto our childhood, life is going to move forward. At some point, our childhood becomes something we look back on instead of something we’re currently experiencing. Each generation’s childhood is marked with different characteristics. No matter how old you are, it seems that every generation believes life was slower and sometimes better than daily life today. This is a collection of poems about those simpler times. The poems are filled with sentimental longing for the days gone by. What fond memories do you have from your childhood? For a moment, take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce about the good old days. They might be just a memory now, but what a beautiful memory they are. They are a reminder of glorious days, the days that made you who you are today.
18 Poems About Reminiscing On Childhood
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1. Kid Stuff
in Aging Poems
Many, many years ago
When I was just a kid,
And I had just began to grow,
There's stuff I had and did.
I'm thinking back on all those things
That life saw fit to give me.
If I can't remember everything,
I hope you will forgive me.
Chocolate candy cigarettes
And big bubble gum cigars.
Mini Bricks and Red Ball Jets,
Hopscotch and Dinky cars.
Mercurochrome and iodine;
Band-aids in a can.
Your watch required a daily wind,
And Etch-A-Sketch was grand.
In school, the teacher had to see
Just what you had to do.
You held one finger up for pee;
You held up two for poo!
Marbles, Slinkys, Lincoln Logs,
Ker Plunk and Pick Up Sticks,
With Yo-yos, you could "walk the dog,"
And ice cream came in bricks.
Arrows all had suction cups
And guns had rolls of caps.
Paddle Balls and Tonka Trucks
Big red lips were wax,
Bumps on heads, being black and blue,
Was minor when compared to
Being sick with cold or flu!
Have fun? You're not prepared to!
Measles, mumps, and chicken pox
Always seemed to flare.
They opened up Pandora's Box
And caught us unaware!
With medicine and care from mom,
Our time in bed was cut!
But I can't remember anyone
Allergic to a nut!
Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
And also Brothers Grimm.
But Mark Twain was my pride and joy!
I never could resist him!
Hide and seek and tag were there.
New energy we found!
No more teacher scorns to bear
When summer came around.
PF Flyer running shoes,
Steel roller skates had keys.
There were phone booths we could use
If there's emergencies.
Rolling down a grassy hill
In parks was a delight.
Nicky Nine Doors was a thrill,
But only played at night!
We rode our bikes with playing cards
Flapping on our spokes.
We played in all our friends' backyards
And told our "Knock Knock" jokes.
Climbing fences, climbing trees
Were common things to do.
Getting bruised or skinning knees?
That was nothing new!
Two wheel scooters, kiddy cars,
We had Soap Box Rallies.
Baseball teams and monkey bars
And close by bowling alleys.
In winter, there were snowball fights
And snow forts for protection.
And when a bitter wind would bite,
Few kids raised objection!
Speeding down a snowy slope
On sleds and blown up tires.
"Is it too steep?" We all said, "Nope!"
We wanted to go higher!
In our teens were Levi jeans,
Duck and pony tails.
Sock hops were a common scene
Where dancing would prevail.
Bobby socks and poodle skirts
And continental slacks.
White buck shoes and fancy shirts,
Guitars and wailing sax!
Computers? What on Earth were they?!
Well, they would show up later.
And none I knew could dare display
Cell phones or calculators!
Many things I've mentioned here
Are still with us today.
But lots of kids, it does appear,
Ignore this great buffet!
What happened to the world I knew?
Have kids today stopped growing?
If time machines were really true,
I know where I'd be going!
Dick, Jane, Spot and Puff
Are nothing now but jokes.
But maybe I have said enough,
So I'll say, "That's all folks!"Featured Shared StoryAh, blissful childhood memories. Raised in a rural community, most relatives and friends lived on farms. Being a town kid, homemade fried chicken dinners in an oversized farm kitchen, that...
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2. A Christmas Long Gone
I lie here awake, afraid to sleep.
I've prayed the Lord my soul to keep.
My stocking is hung on my bed,
Really brother's long sock instead.
But Mum said it would do for now
As she kissed my cheek, kissed my brow,
She tucked me in on Christmas Eve
When I was young and still believed.
Was that a footstep on the stairs?
My brother's snoring really scares.
Will he get down that chimney tight?
Will I get my first glimpse tonight?
I lie awake, for ages and ages,
Skimming last year's Beano pages,
Under my blanket torch alight,
Getting sleepy, losing the fight.
Woke next morning, screams of glee.
Missed him again; how could that be?
A bulging sock suspended there,
An apple, an orange, maybe a pear.
Cadbury's chocolate! What a delight!
Three new pennies: shiny and bright,
A piggy bank with its own key.
It wasn't much but meant all to me.
The front room always looked divine,
A roaring fire, the smell of pine,
Tinsel draped on the real fir tree,
Foil wrapped chocolates just for me.
Silver baubles' reflections revealing,
Paper chains strung on the ceiling,
Needles dropping on linoleum
Swept up daily by tidy Mum.
Lone present 'neath the Christmas tree,
Wrapped really well, was that for me?
This was as good as it could get,
I've got a new Meccano set.
Ripped off wrap all over the floor.
One present each, but that was more
Than we could expect; times were hard,
Some mates didn't get a Christmas card.
So ten young children eat the grub
Which cooked while Dad was at the pub.
He'd already had a drink or two,
But then, it was his holiday too.
Poor Mum would have to slave away,
No fun for her on Christmas day.
Times were tough, yes, I agree,
But at six years old, it worked for me!Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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3. Childhood Memories
in Change Poems
I was happy when I was a lad.
It wasn't all good, but it wasn't half bad.
We played with sticks we played with stones;
we built ourselves dens that we called homes.
We explored the woods, we climbed the trees,
and we played with marbles on our knees.
Conkers in season we threaded with string.
If your opponent missed, your knuckles would sting.
We built trolleys with old pram wheels.
We were often too busy to go home for our meals.
We made catapults, bows and arrows and spears,
quite often resulting in painful tears.
We scrumped apples, plums and pears;
of getting caught, we had no cares.
In fact, we were often caught, and our ears clipped,
no smart replies - we never lipped.
During the long school summer holidays when the sun shone bright,
we played outside from morning to night.
War games, tin can tommy, hide and seek,
Such fun we'd have, what havoc we'd wreak.
Raiding allotments, pinching what grew.
We'd get a good hiding if our parents knew.
Round blazing open fires on logs we would sit.
In the pitch-black night our faces it lit.
We'd have singsongs and tell tales of ghosts,
of things we had done, exaggerated boasts.
Now looking back, such a long time it seems.
Sometimes I wonder was it all in my dreams.
But then I remember all the things that I did
could only be done when I was a kid!Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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4. Golden Days
Those were the days...
When I used to get up late,
Never cared about the day and date.
All I ever did was play
With building blocks and molding clay.
Now I keep stumbling to find a way
To bring back my childhood days.
Used to write the alphabet
With white chalks on a slate,
Waved a silly goodbye every day
To the dog roaming in front of my gate.
Now I keep stumbling to find a way
To bring back my childhood days.
Near the corner of the park, at the end,
We fought tiny wars with our friends,
Were so carefree, never had to pretend,
Had all the food in lunches our mothers would send.
Now I keep stumbling to find a way
To bring back my childhood days.
Though it's impossible, I'd like to try
To press a button and go back in time.
Far from the business of loss and gain,
Away from the feelings of grief and pain,
To be that naughty girl once again,
To live that good life once again.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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5. I Remember
I remember-
of days so long in the past
when I wished I would grow up so fast.
I remember-
endless races we had to school.
Coming first ensured you were cool.
I remember-
the sudden hot summer's rain,
dancing 'round and 'round again.
I remember-
playing in the luscious grass
with all my friends in my class.
I remember-
the spooky monsters under my bed;
Mum and Dad said it was all in my head.
I remember-
when I grew to be as old as ten,
my dad made me a tree-house as my den.
I remember-
hide-and-seek was the best game,
but as we grew up it became so lame.
I remember-
Haribos were as good as gold.
I will have as many as I want when I am old.
I remember-
when I wanted to be a king
with a large throne and a diamond ring.
I remember-
my first camping trip
or my first time on a ship.
I remember-
when I broke my wrist
all the fun is what I missed.
I remember-
Mr. Cuddles, my first teddy bear.
I loved him so much and took him everywhere.
Now that I am grey and old,
My childhood memories I have told.Featured Shared StoryThe childhood of a person might be a mixture of both pleasant and unpleasant memories. Mine is dominated by unpleasant memories, but I love to read and listen to the pleasant experiences of...
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6. Riches
They say that times were tough then
That money was very tight
But I remember my childhood
And I know that can't be right
Mom would cook our dinner
Dad came home at five
We were all sitting at the table
Waiting for him to arrive
We wouldn't eat from a microwave
Or a restaurant down the street
We all ate Mom's home cooking
And boy, that can't be beat
We didn't eat in front of the TV
Or with a phone in our hand
We weren't plugged into a stereo
Bopping to the latest band
We would all sit at the table
Everyone in their place
There were never any surprises
We recognized every face
Brothers to the left of me
Sisters to the right
That's the way we ate dinner
Every single night
We laughed, we joked, we talked, we ate
We were a family, don't you see
Though some may have been raised poor
You can see it wasn't me
We ate collards, we ate biscuits
We ate fatback and blackeyed peas
We said yes sir, we said no sir
We said thank you ma'am and please
So when you talk of family life
Or how it used to be
Though many had more money
None were as rich as meFeatured Shared StoryIt was a very good poem. It reminded me of my childhood. When we did not have much money but we had eggs from our chicken's house. We have plenty of fruits and vegetables and...
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7. The Olden Days
in Change Poems
Back in the day, life was so clear
Families gathered and shared in the cheer
We spent our Pounds, Schillings and Pence
A time when our society had more sense
A time when children played in the streets
When everyone knew you from the top of your head to the shoes on your feet
Days when your neighbours would lend a hand
When hand-me-down clothes made you feel grand
Respect was abundant and a pleasure it was
Now our society has forgotten it because
We think we are so advanced in our mindset
In my opinion, we've lost our best bet
Doors were not locked but open to welcome
Now they are all locked up, unfeeling and unwelcome
I wish for the days of my childhood
When going to church did your heart good
The days when we spoke so fondly of life
Those days have passed us, now filled with strife
We've turned our backs on the important things
We miss all the love that knowing God brings
Wouldn't it be grand if we could have those virtues
I believe if we did, it would solve some issues
Wish we could go back to those bygone ways
And revisit the values of the bygone daysFeatured Shared StoryWow, a telling reminiscence. Looks like we've come a long way. But there is hope, especially with poems like this to remind and encourage us towards better living.
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8. I Was Thinking Of Love And You Came To Mind
I was thinking of love, and you came to mind.
I have many memories I would like to rewind.
Do you remember those days I would lie in your lap
As you doodled my ears, I would take a short nap.
I'm remembering the nights that we spent together.
You would scratch my back gently, ever so tender.
As I rewind a bit more, I am seeing much fun.
I'm remembering the fall and all the raking we had done.
So many leaves piled by the tree,
You would cover me up till I couldn't see.
Those are just a few of the memories I have.
Let's rewind a bit more to when I was bad.
I'm sorry for the times when I made you cry.
Looking back at the past, I'm not sure I know why.
I know as a child I was stubborn, selfish, and strange,
But look at me now, and how much I've changed.
I assume looking back, it's hard to understand
That today I'm quite normal, I think God lent a hand.
The ending is near, I think I've said enough!
I could go on forever, but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
All joking aside, I would be up all night
If I continued this poem and continued to write.
There are just not enough words to express all the love
Other than the words written above.
So I thank you!
From the bottom of my heart for loving me no matter what.Featured Shared StoryMy dad grew up hungry and on a dirt floor. He had to work when he was twelve. He sold ice cream cones to people at the train station. My mother had four siblings and a father who left and...
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9. Simpler Times
in Change Poems
Take me back to those simpler times
When all I sang were nursery rhymes,
When stealing chocolates was my only crime,
When sleep used to come early, at nine,
When my fears were much more sublime,
When I was unaware of society's paradigm,
When I actually used to mean, "I am fine."
Please, take me back to those simpler times.Featured Shared StoryThis poem is very relatable. I remember always wanting to act like an adult and dressing up like one. Looking back, I should have enjoyed being a kid for as long as I could. Let this remind...
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10. The Box
As I look back to when I was but a boy,
I'd have to say a cardboard box was my favorite toy.
There were no action figures in this day,
and computer games were still many years away.
The box was my pirate ship leading me to my stash of gold and doubloons.
It also served as my rocket ship, flying me to the moon.
It was my speedy race car, and I was Richard Petty.
On other days, I was Mario Andretti.
It was my castle where I was the king.
I was also a professional wrestler, fighting in the ring.
The box also served as a fort.
From there, I would fight off enemy ships that were coming into port.
It was a boxcar, and I was a tramp.
It was a tent, a place for me to camp.
That box was my best friend as it would take me to many different places.
From flying in the cosmos to distant lands filled with alien races.
A simple cardboard box, but still my favorite toy.
It was made of wood, pulp, and glue, but it brought me hours of endless joy.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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11. Remembering
in Aging Poems
When sleepless I lie,
As the hours slip by,
I go walking the paths back home.
I hear the meadowlark's song
As I amble along
In this fanciful way that I roam.
As my memories clutter,
A tractor's soft mutter
Is providing new chocolate brown fields
For the ground to be seeded
When spring planting is needed.
A plan for which all nature yields.
A tinkling cowbell
Tells me all is now well
With the herd contentedly grazing.
Mother cows keep an eye,
While their newborns race by
With a speed that is simply amazing.
Thunderclouds overhead
Start to fill me with dread,
For I know that soon it will storm.
I cannot complain.
In fact, I love rain
As long as I'm in where it's warm.
As my feet stir the dust
I know that I must
Leave my childhood memories behind.
Still, it's a comfort to know
That wherever I go,
They will always be there in my mind.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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12. My Childhood Christmas Memories
My childhood Christmas memories always make me smile.
I'll often drift to long ago and stay there for a while.
Remember singing carols long before the date?
Of counting days from Halloween, I really couldn't wait.
Recalling cherished carefree times that advent used to bring.
The infant class nativity, the songs we used to sing.
The being good, the secret smiles when making Christmas wishes,
The showing off to Santa by drying up the dishes.
"Eat your food, the elves are watching" was often said to me,
And though I'd quickly turn my head I never got to see,
And it always snowed at Christmas, least that's what I recall.
Standing by the fireside glow, watching the snowflakes fall,
I well recall the bustling shops, not frenzied like today.
The kindly smiles and gestures that set you on your way,
I crave the smells, and seasonal sights, the tastes that were sublime,
The long gone folk who touched our lives so much at Christmas time.
The sleepless nights on Christmas Eve, a mix of joy and fear,
While listening out for Santa Claus (I heard him every year),
And sleep might come eventually, though fitful if at all.
Then up I'd jump on Christmas Day, the greatest time of all,
Waking up the family to see if he had been,
Closing eyes and walking in to see the festive scene,
Running to a pile of gifts, "I can't believe my eyes."
"How did you know I wanted that?" and "What a great surprise!"
And then one year the magic did not seem to be as strong.
To believe in Father Christmas was childish and quite wrong,
So I never heard his sleigh bells on Christmas Eve again,
Nor saw snow at Christmas, just wind and sleet and rain.
And so it was for many years, my childhood Christmas gone.
Grown up responsibilities was the order from now on,
Until that is the greatest gift, a child to call my own.
Her Christmas Eve excitement by me was so well-known,
And as I kissed her goodnight last year and closed the door,
I swear I heard his sleigh bells upon the roof once more.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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13. Our TV Set Was Black And White
Our TV set was black and white
And on its spindly legs it stood;
More deep than wide with dials that clicked,
All curved glass screen and grain of wood.
The screen was all of twenty inches,
Far away, way over there.
But you dared not creep up closer,
Lest your eyes would soon turn square.
A whole four channels from which to choose
Until they bid goodnight and closed;
From late night until mid-morning,
Static noise and screen of snow.
If you wished to change the channel,
Across the room you had to trek.
Then risk the loss of decent picture,
Rabbit ears were not high tech.
An exercise in mad frustration,
Swiveling, angling to and fro.
Yes! Stop there! The picture's "perfect,"
Right until you let them go.
If your show aired once a week,
Then one whole week you had to wait;
No binge watching or recording.
If you missed it, bad luck mate!
At times your programs overlapped
And that dilemma left you vexed -
Miss the end of the one you're watching
Or the beginning of the next?
All those ads with corny jingles,
Some of them were hard to take;
No fast forward and no pausing,
Just enough time for a bathroom break.
Or maybe not!...it was a gamble,
So it really must be said,
Though black and white it might have been,
At times it had me seeing red!Featured Shared StoryHi Raelene. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my poems. I really appreciate the kind feedback. Kind regards, Cynthia
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14. Summer Days
in Summer Poems
The sun, it fades in the moonlight.
The stars, they fade in the daylight.
The cold breezes are strong in winter and spring,
And the warm, sunny days are what summer brings.
The ice cream van's song plays a tune as the children play on the sand,
The joy on their little faces as their parents put money in their small, little hands.
I remember the time when my dad put me on his shoulders as we surfed in the waves,
And all the times he would put on a song and we would have our own little rave.
I remember the time when I made sand castles with my friends and the joy we all had.
I remember the summer days, and not a memory of those bright, sunny days was bad.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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15. Endless Summer
in Summer Poems
Oh, for those cloudless days of old
when holidays went on forever,
clear blue skies were lit with gold.
Grass seemed so much greener then,
days fluttered by like butterflies
in the garden playing with friends.
Fields were full of wildflowers
we picked and pressed into a book,
books were read for many hours.
Those trips away beside the sea,
ice cream and donkeys on the beach,
and surfing through the waves with glee.
We built our castles in the sand,
whilst kites reached heights of happiness,
it seemed those days would never end.Featured Shared StoryI can remember those lovely summer vacations with all my neighborhood friends, soaking in my 2-foot pool, riding bikes, sitting by the river, playing wiffle and kick ball on my street and the...
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16. Home Away From Home
in Home Poems
I remember when we were little kids
and would stay at grandma and grandpa's house all night.
We would get scolded when we talked in bed
until once again the room would grow quiet.
Just when we thought we were out of trouble,
one of us would think of something funny to say.
We could hear footsteps coming down the hall.
That meant grandpa was on his way.
Now grandma and grandpa could be quite stern,
but never could they be mean.
Mostly it was a lot of love that came
from them; that is what we had seen.
Finally, we would settle down for the night, and before we knew it,
it was the next day.
We weren't so anxious to get up
because we had talked the night away.
Grandma would yell, you kids get up,
Get out of bed it's time for you to eat.
We could already smell the biscuits,
bacon and eggs, we knew we were in for quite a treat.
We were right because when we saw the
table set with all the goodies galore,
it only made us want to stay at grandma
and grandpa's house more and more and more.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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17. The Fifties
in Summer Poems
We spent those stifling endless summer afternoons
on hot front porches, cutting paper dolls from Sears
catalogs, making up our own ideal families
complete with large appliances
and an all-occasion wardrobe with fold-down
paper tabs.
Sometimes we left crayons on the cement
landing, just to watch them melt.
We followed the shade around the house.
Time was a jarful of pennies, too hot
to spend, stretching long and sticky,
a brick of Bonomo’s Turkish Taffy.
Tomorrow’d be more of the same,
ending with softball or kickball,
then hide and seek in the mosquitoey dark.
Fireflies, like connect-the-dots or find-the-hidden-
words, rose and glowed, winked on and off,
their cool fires coded signals
of longing and love
that we would one day
learn to speak.
Published in Radiance (Word Press, 2005).Featured Shared StoryThis one brought me back, way back. I lived that kind of life, and I look back on it fondly. Time seemed to move so slowly back then. We were rushing to grow up. Little did any of us know...
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18. Ranch Of Memories
in Home Poems
My feet pressed against the dusty roads.
The cool breeze skimmed my face.
The air's fragrance, a mixture of fruit and flowers, traveled through my nose.
Down the slopes I would race,
My hair spreading all around me.
The dogs raced down too.
This fantasy became reality,
A dream come true.
Some people may just call it a walk or a hike,
But it is independence for me.
Some people prefer to take a bike, but I let my soul fly free
On my grandpa's ranch.
Across the trees,
Across the flower patch,
Through the breeze.
This is the place I love to go.
This is the place my soul flies free.
So many memories I cherish it holds.
This is where I get to see my family.
My grandpa's ranch, my favorite place in the world.Featured Shared StoryNo Stories yet, You can be the first!
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