Echoes of Prehistory
A Child’s Fascination with Dinosaurs and the Passage of Time
Naturally, there are theories
about why children are so mesmerized
by dinosaurs, about how a five-year-old
can memorize those Latin names,
the prefixes and their dietary habits,
even before learning his own phone number.
—
My child effortlessly recites
the names I now struggle with,
setting up figures just as I did
long ago. Here, the curved back
of a brontosaur; there, a triceratops,
fully armored. From the armchair,
a pterodactyl oversees
the primeval expanse of carpet.
—
Each dinosaur vanishes occasionally,
only to be unearthed from beneath
a cabinet or the sofa cushions,
then reburied in the deep toy chest,
its lid closing as tightly as the earth.
Next time they're brought out to play,
another fossil has been found.
—
A tooth or an eggshell fragment
reveals new insights about their lifespan
or intelligence, whether they were warm- or cold-blooded.
On the floor, they seem to debate
the latest discovery, each figuring out
which part of their kind has been unearthed.
—
Sometimes, they line up side by side,
waiting to topple like dominoes,
my son's tennis ball the bright asteroid,
his shadow a looming dark cloud
as he stands. His passion for them cools
imperceptibly, like the slow movement of glaciers,
marking the transition from one age to the next.
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Comments (48)
This poem just makes me smile "nly to be unearthed from beneath a cabinet or the sofa cushions, then reburied in the deep toy chest, its lid closing as tightly as the earth" my 2 year old daughter loves dinosaurs and we have these tiny ones that are always lost in things but she always knows where they are!
This is so lovely. For him to remember the namesh3 must truely love them ♦️❤️♦️🏆🖊️
This must have been a lovely challenge and this poem is just so adorable.
Congratulations 🎊 👏. I might have miss this challenge
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Again...profound is the word I would choose. Very clever wordplay on toys and prehistoric references. Kudos here.
This is fantastic. No wonder it was selected as the winner! Congratulations! (Sorry I am so late to the party!)
I appreciate the transitions here; they are so beautifully crafted, having raised three sons.
nice writing-- with thoughts weaving through many levels of understanding.. so glad you won first prize!
Congratulations on First Place! Well deserved!🎉🎉🎉
Lovely!
Absolutely this should have won. Congratulations. As a mom and therefore a collector of everything dinosaur-related, I found this piece so compelling and earnest. I want to read this when my kids are grown, after I have found an ankylosaurus in my sock drawer. That last line, too - what beauty. You are a tremendous writer.
Very well deserved for winning the first prize. I was so impressed. Congratulations
Most amazing poem I've read. You deserve winning the contest 👏 really impressive
I'm impressed by your writing. I enjoyed reading it
Fun to read!
I love how you tied this all together 🦖
Well deserved winner right here! Congratulations brother on achieving the first place prize. The poem is killer and is well deserved!
I love this from the view of a child, this was a really unique approach and deserves the win. Ah, the innocence and wonder of a child. Congrats.
Absolute masterpiece right here- that final line of 'one age to the next' is unbelievably brilliant. Congrats on a well-deserved first place, sir!!
Congratulations on first place friend.
Congratulations! 🙌 🥳 This was beautiful and nostalgic
Wonderful poem that captures the imagination of children and their fascination with dinosaurs in entertaining detail. Congratulations on a well-deserved win. 💙🌍
Amazing :) Beautifully written like a visit to the past when We were fascinated by dinosaurs and yes remembering all the names was so easy, Congratulations on such a Huge achievement First Place in a challenge !! I am so Happy for You ! truly a unique poem!
Congratulations - a well-deserved win; children have an endless capacity for learning and curiosity, and we don't need to lose that as we age. You did a wonderful job of showing how the threads between imagination and learning can be strong and enduring