The Wonder Kid

My imagination came to visit me.

We hadn’t talked for years,

Inside its eyes – there - I could see

it harboured many fears.

But many wondrous things galore

were bubbling in its brain,

“I should have played with you much more;

I’m glad you came again.”

I also said, “I missed you, too.

We were the best of friends!”

As it replied, my own fear grew:

“This could be how it ends!”

It took me by the hand and said,

“There is no time to waste!

If we stay here, we’ll all be dead!

Come follow me! Make haste!”

“We gotta hide! We need to run!

We must get out of the open!

I only pray there’s just the one,

fingers crossed and here's to hopin'!”

I didn’t run, but then I heard

a terrible commotion.

It boomed and buzzed and clicked and whirred-

it gathered locomotion!

And out it strode into plain sight,

a monstrous techno-beast -

Gargantuan! I’d guess its height

at fifty feet – at least!

Its head was a computer screen,

its body, cords and cable,

and all of us, became quite keen

to run as we were able!

The Saunter twins, they led the way.

Imagination still held on

to my hand, “Escape the fray,”

it yelled. “Cut through this lawn!”

Behind us boomed a techno voice:

“I want you back, young child.

Hard or easy, it’s your choice!

Don’t test me, I’ll go wild!”

And just to prove its point, it grew

an extra fifty feet!

Just like that! And then I knew

it’d suffer no defeat.

My dog came too, she ran with us,

she must have sensed our plight!

She didn’t pull or make a fuss

or stop and try to fight!

The techno-beasty towered tall

above our neighbourhood.

There was no place to hide at all.

It watched from where it stood!

And we had run a whole three blocks;

it saw us all the way!

There was no chance we could out-fox

it, hide, or run away.

So, in the park we made our stand -

my Imagination said we should;

it tried to make me understand,

believe we actually could

stand a chance against the tech

that wanted me so much

to heed its every call and beck,

it even missed my touch!

Wonder ‘oohed’ and Marvel ‘aahed’

at our Imagination.

Hand on its hips, as it guffawed,

“That beasty’s our creation!”

“You have super powers,” it said.

“That thing’s just imitation.

Remember, if you use my head,

there is no limitation!”

“Of course! That’s right! We have our own

powers that we can use!”

(I had forgot that I had known

I only had to choose.)

I bent down, and asked my pet,

I said, “You ready, Girl?’

She chuffed a “Yes!” and then I let

my Marvel Mind unfurl!

My Annie dog, and I, we grew

until we were even taller

than the beasty; then it knew

that it was actually smaller.

We took two strides and we were there,

we stepped over the houses!

Grownups could not help but stare

like tiny little mouses.

Annie circled round behind,

it had nowhere to go.

With Imagination and my Wonder mind

I faced it toe to toe!

It wooed me with my favorite games,

it was a clever beast.

It even tried to use the names

of those not yet released!

But I was strong and told my foe,

“These games are only fads.”

And I leaned in and let it know,

“All this comes with no Ads!”

That was the coup-de-grace that day

that felled the techno-beast;

when I remembered how to play

my power was released.

I re-became the Wonder Kid

I was meant to be.

I reclaimed me, I truly did;

I, once again, was free.