King of the Mountain
by Richard Diem
King of the mountain
We tumbled and played
In the snows of our childhood
Our courage displayed
We rolled and we laughed
The girls watched with delight
We were rough housing ragamuffins
On cold winter nights
Who would stand tall?
Who’d muscle his way
To the top of the mountain
To be king of the day?
Snowflakes of memory
Still fall and appear
My mind’s eye can taste them
I smile in good cheer
Embracing the laughter
Of childhood delight
I picture those old friends
On cold winter nights
Richard Diem came to Sunnyside early in life, attended PS 150 and JHS 125. and L.I.C. H.S., after which he entered the Marine Corps. He went on to become the franchised manager of a newspaper home delivery service and later, a Postal Service mail carrier. He is a minister to the homebound through his church and a professional caregiver forced into retirement by Covid-19. He loves writing about his childhood memories.