Magic Marbles

An old game opens new ideas

Magic Marbles


“Come on, turn off the TV set.
There is an outside, don’t forget,”
I said to my son, who was glued
and never moved, except for food.

“Uh huh.” His response was clear
that what I said – he didn’t hear.
I started counting, one to ten.
He knew I was quite serious then.

I took him into the backyard.
“See,” I said, “it’s not that hard
to find a place to clear your mind.”
He looked around. “What did you find?”

I laughed and scraped an image round,
a circle imposed on the ground.
I pulled a bag out. “Here’s the magic
that makes missing TV not so tragic.”

I spilled the orbs out, gleaming, bright
as they rolled in the late daylight.
“Marbles? Now you’re kidding me!”
“Give them a chance. You will see.”

“There’s physics here, and dare I say,
you might learn math along the way.
And strategy and how to think
each time you hear a marble clink.”

We “knuckled down,” began to play
and all in all, I have to say,
it wasn’t long ‘til he caught on.
I checked my watch - an hour, gone.

For each success, a tiny cheer;
For each miss, a larger jeer.
We talked and laughed and talked some more
until my wife called from the door.

“Come you kids, it’s dinner time
and don’t forget to wash the grime
off of your hands – and dust your knees!”
I could tell that she was pleased.

Shiny spheres of colored glass
we used to help make the time pass
but, here’s the point, it’s time we shared,
showing each other that we cared.

An entry for "Words with Wings" 
Prompt: Tell me a story or a poem about your favorite game/toy.
Line Limit: 40
Line Count: 40