When does childhood end? When is the last time we go out to play?
It’s hard to remember the moment when childhood slips away and adulthood begins. In as few words as possible, I try to express one moment at that gateway.
Grown-Up Shoes
when the high heels fit
that was it —
childhood pretend
was done
—Lesley Scoble, September 2026
I wrote my micro poem inspired by the W3 Poetry Prompt #227, where the magnificent writer and poet Nigel Byng challenges us to show a little discipline and write in a tight form. To read his full guidelines, click below.
Nigel’s prompt: Leaving childhood behind
Let’s work with tighter forms this week and see what a little discipline can reveal.
Choose one specific object or place from your childhood—a bedroom doorway, a schoolyard swing, a favorite toy, a familiar street—and write about the moment when it began to feel different: when you sensed that childhood was receding and something else had begun.
You may write a micro free-verse poem, a senryū, or a haiku.
CREDITS
My thanks to Nigel for his inspiration.
My thanks to David of The Skeptics Kaddish for his steady encouragement.
My gratitude to both is deep.
Feature Image
Grown‑Up Shoes | Digital ink and watercolour ©️ Lesley Scoble
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