I wanted to, but couldn't, I watched them in the sand, Small children in the playground, ... People wouldn't understand
See, I'm a grown man now, I'm over six feet tall, Too big for kiddies' slippery dips, And tiny climbing walls
Then, yesterday, I found it, A giant playground in a park, I had a go on everything, And stayed till after dark!
Up the mighty slippery slide, Fifty-five feet high, As wide as a kitchen table, So down it I did fly.
A monster swing of sturdy chain, I could almost touch the sky, I had a go, and then again, And then another try.
'Cross monkey bars of solid steel, High above the ground, Looking so far down I feel, My heart begin to pound.
A fitness crowd I see, "Avast" Upon a life-size pirate ship, I clamber up the towering mast, And give them all the slip.
I'll be back again, I have no doubt, This place holds an allure, I must enjoy it 'fore the secret's out, For more will come, I'm sure.-- UnaBubba, Aug 13 2009 I was in Vegas for a week I was on duty, there to speak but when I had a moment free I figured that I could just flee And seek amusement in a park It's Vegas, and it's never dark
I asked my driver to be sure My dear man, will you point to shore Please drive me further from these dolts And to a playground, for adults He smiled and said, "I know the place" And drove me there, though at his pace
What can I tell you, dear UB To see it, there you had to be-- theircompetitor, Aug 13 2009 Thanks, [tc], I understand, There's nothing more to say, 'cept Vegas ain't no Disneyland, Where adults go to play.
I lost a pile of cash there once, At dice games I was crap, I left there feeling like a dunce, Victim of a tourist trap.
See, my idea's more about the fun, Of reliving my time as child, Thanks though, for your timely bun, Not like Vegas... much more mild.-- UnaBubba, Aug 13 2009 (Sorry - can't do this in rhyme) I saw Le Cirque Invisible a few years ago. As part of this, Victoria Chaplin got onto a giant swing lowered down from the roof of the theatre and just swung on it, with a big smile on her face. She picked up quite a bit of speed and eventually was swinging high over the audience and it captured perfectly how children take enjoyment in playing - which is the attraction of playground equipment - and which (as I think this idea suggests) we lose as adults. It was a lovely performance and made me think about this "adults don't play" prejudice - it's more acceptable to work hard, go to the gym, do sports, compete, etc., but not just to 'play'.-- hippo, Aug 13 2009 Well, I became a relatively young grandfather earlier this year, so I'm actually reliving all of that from a very different perspective :)
Actually, I think we all play a lot more than any adults ever did in the history of mankind, don't we? I don't count, of course, the Halfbakery :)
But recapturing the sense of wonder is worthy, without a doubt.-- theircompetitor, Aug 13 2009 outward bound.-- WcW, Aug 13 2009 [tc] & [hippo] hit the mark, Our loss of fun is sad, I take my own kids to the park, These days now... I'm a Dad.
I love to watch the sense of joy, On every young child's face, Including my own girl and boy, When we go to that place.
They imagine fights with pirates cruel, On seas full of monster sharks, Until the evening comes in cool, With shadows long and dark.
We lose our sense of fun and play, And each year takes its toll, For another hour of childhood, pray, Before I grow too old.-- UnaBubba, Aug 13 2009 TV and the internet, they're the devils, robbing you of the innocence of a shiny new toy however fleeting. That great new idea you had ? Done already. That idea you made ? Done better. And the responsibilities ... the mortage, the mind-numbingly predicatable job, the unbearable weight of tedious people.
Out of the city. At last something pure. A sit in the grass Arrrgghhh! Beeeees !-- bigsleep, Aug 13 2009 I miss monkey bar tag... and murderball."THINK QUICK!!!"<launches giant rubber ball at [UnaBubba]'s head>-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 13 2009 I take a ball blow to the head, And fall upon the ground, And then, when others think I'm dead, I finally come around.
My dreams of pirate ships and fun, Seem to be the stuff of heaven, My consciousness has now come back, I believe that I'm just seven.
I launch the ball in seeming jest, And connect with [2fries] skull, The impact puts him out to rest, With a snoring deep and dull.-- UnaBubba, Aug 13 2009 Ow.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 13 2009 When I was a smaller child, I'd ride my bicycle around whilst making 'brrm' sounds, imagining myself to be on one of the wondrous black and chrome cafe racers of the sixties.
This morning, as most mornings, I threw my leg over my black and chrome cafe racer and broke the ton once more, grinning like a kid.
Some of us have achieved our big play equipment, but more of us need to. (+)-- Twizz, Aug 14 2009 My spouse was a pre-school teacher. I felt like such a jerk-- First date was over on the swings-- she saw it just like work.-- RayfordSteele, Aug 14 2009 Then on to the see-saw, Up and down like mad, Until you heard a raging roar, It was probably her Dad.-- UnaBubba, Aug 14 2009 We pinned him down, barrels slyly pointed, said he "come on, i can take a hit!", paintballs loaded we commenced, to shoot his tender armpit.-- twitch, Aug 14 2009 Her Dad fought back with grimness, Elbows, teeth and nails, He got a shot on me.. through dimness, I watched his fists like threshing flails.-- UnaBubba, Aug 14 2009 His panic expected,
Commence Plan B:
3rd drawer from the top, a baseball bat,
apply swiftly to the back of his knee.-- twitch, Aug 15 2009 And this, my dear children a lesson to learn no matter how big you can still crash and burn-- theircompetitor, Aug 15 2009 Rock on, [Twizz].-- normzone, Aug 16 2009 Yesterday, to my delight, I found a roundabout, I spun it up with all my might, Oh, how it it made us shout
We spun around and 'round and 'round Till we were like to drop, And then we lay upon the ground, Until the revolutions stopped.-- UnaBubba, Aug 19 2009 all this engaging talk of fun and games and play is neat, but for the rhyming poetry here, take this flaky treat-- CaptainClapper, Aug 20 2009 Puke and puss, clumping hair, On the bus, you'll find me there.
Lying underneath the bench, Oddly they don't mind the stench.-- twitch, Aug 20 2009 halfbakery