My 12-year-old son changed instruments this year. He used to play the trumpet…but now is a mighty TUBA player. That ranks right up there next to Jedi Master!
To mix up my posts and give the WordPress Writing Challenge a whirl, I thought I’d do a poem in honor of my son and my new made-up Holiday…
OcTUBAfest.
Sit back, close your eyes (except when you have to open them to read this Tuba-licious poem), and enjoy the power of rhyme…and tubas.
~*~
Ode to Getting a Tuba Home
By Some Mom’s Anonymous Son
~~~
I once was a simple trumpet player,
But that horn made my Mom take lots of Bayer.
My arms enlongated from carrying it each day
So I knew that something had to give sway.
~~~
My band teacher asked, “Who’d like to change?
We have no Tubas, and that’s a shame!”
Then she told how a tuba at school did stayeth
While the other went home, so that my body wouldn’t swayeth.
~~~
“Me, me!” I shouted out with glee.
“I will play tuba, especially for thee!
No more will my arms and legs hurt from carrying
A trumpet that I hardly ever practice varying.”
So my teacher gave me my Tuba extraordinaire
And told me for that day I must get it somewhere.
I called home, but my mom, she wasn’t around,
So I lugged that behemoth all around town.
~~~
On the bus, a whole seat did my tuba take,
And I got lots of weird looks, like I was half-baked.
The driver felt sorry for the beast I must carry
And drove an extra block so that I would not be weary.
~~~
But still, that 18 lb horn had a 14 lb case,
And my 12-year-old muscles quickly lost face,
For as hard as I tried, I could only take a few strides,
Before I’d drop that huge tuba and almost collide.
~~~
I loved my tuba, but it didn’t love me.
But my friend came to my rescue, like a bumblebee.
“I’ll run to my house and get my brother’s wagon,”
He left and I wished for a purple pet dragon.
In minutes, he returned with a wagon, red and noisy,
And we hefted my tuba inside, and were happy Boysies!
That did the trick, and I got my tuba home with ease.
Then hurried to the bathroom, ‘cause I had to pee.
~~~
When mom came home, she gasped and felt terrible
For not driving me home with my Tuba unbearable!
I told her she won for “Bad mom of the week”
For not helping me, and making me feel like a geek.
~~~
BLURRRRRP!
Wow! That poem was fun. I’m no Dr. Seuss, mind you, but that writing challenge of posting something different than normal was quite exhilarating. I might try it again sometime. Happy OcTUBAfest everyone! If your child plays tuba and has to get it home from school, try to be home when they call so you can go pick them up and not have poems written about your terrible neglect. Tubas are heavy! I had no idea.
Char
P.S. Have you ever had to carry something SO heavy that after you did, you created a holiday in honor of your efforts?
Joy in the Moments 
My flute was much lighter, but most boys wouldn’t be caught dead with one. 🙂 My arm feels really heavy from my flu shot this afternoon. Does that count? 😉
Much lighter! My oldest did the flute and she never complained about carrying it to and from school. My son hated carrying the trumpet back and forth, and was all ears when he learned that one trumpet stayed and school and the other at home. I just didn’t realize which day he had to bring it home. Sorry about your arm! Ouch! But now you’ll be safe from Carrie’s dreaded virus.
Achoo!
Elbow sneeze, please! Didn’t they teach you about it in medical school?
Sorry. That one just snuck out…
Daughter played the violin and then the flute. Fortunately not heavy but hard on the ears none the less….lol
The violin’s my favorite instrument–but only after years of practice. Truly it is the most awful instrument to listen to when it is being learned. This tuba thing is shockingly big and heavy though. I can barely move it a few steps…so I am in awe of my son even getting it from the band room to the bus…let alone all the way home afterward.
Adorable. Luckily neither of my kids played the tuba! Fun poem. I’ll have to check into this wordpress challenge thing.
My son loves the tuba, although I hardly ever hear him practicing (and that is kind of a hard instrument to play subtly; I seriously think he only got it so he wouldn’t have an instrument he had to lug to and from school each day). The Writing challenge was a fun thing to do to force my mind in new directions.
That was so cute. And I think as a mother of a 12-year-old boy myself, I had extra empathy for you both (him for having to carry it, and you for the guilt you surely must have felt 🙂 ). My son plays guitar and trombone–neither exactly tiny instruments. But I hope for your mental and auditory sanity that your son is a maestro musician. 🙂 (And what a cutey he is!)
I don’t know if he’s a maestro. Today he played a note upstairs and I was standing by my daughter downstairs and she asked, “Was that you?” (thinking I had farted). First band concert is in two weeks…and I can’t wait to hear my son’s farting tuba.
Oh, Char, I can always count on a laugh-out-loud from you. That was a good one. I’m reading blog posts as I walk on my treadmill (using my fancy $40 treadmill shelf, of course), and I almost fell off when I read that farting line.
Oh, poor kid having to take this humoungous tuba back home on his own! Do you need to buy earplugs for the next few weeks or is it getting better?
He only practices enough to be tolerable and pass his playing test each week. My eardrums are still in tact.
Char – that’s lovely! The tuba is wonderful instrument and in demand. Seeing your son carrying it reminded me of my days carrying a cello. Hope that he really loves playing it! Ruth 🙂
My roommate in college played the cello. Those things are big too. I always felt a little bad for her when she had to lug that thing to campus everyday. Do you still play? Usually my kids do band just through junior high and quit in high school and choose sports rather than marching band. They all play piano pretty good, so when they quit band, it doesn’t break my heart since they are still musical.
Hi Char, Yes, it was big to carry to school – a walk of a couple of miles each way!! No, I can’t play now due to my health problems. It’s great to even learn to read music – our only universal language. I feel that it would be excellent if, in schools, they taught everyone to read music. 🙂
That would be a great thing to teach kids.
I loved your poem, but mostly I loved what you wrote in the P.S. it really made me laugh, the way you asked the question as if that’s a perfectly normal thing that lots of people might do!
I think the tuba is a great choice for your son because the weight of it means he will be combining music with strength-building exercises – two birds, one stone.
And boys love building muscles! He’s always showing me his 6-pack abs (yet he’s still a scrawny 12 year old, so he only ends up making me laugh). I love how confident boys are (even though their moms laugh at them). He thinks he’s the hero hunk of the world–Mr. Muscles.
Makes me want to dust off the old violin! I just love that pic with the wagon. That Tuba will be better than lifting weights! Especially if he ever joins a marching band. 🙂
Oh my! He would become strong if he had to do marching band with that beast. I watched a cool Marching band youtube video the other day (I can’t remember for sure, but I thought it was some Ohio university marching band at half time). They made all these cool moving figures–a running horse, Mario, etc–as they played their instruments and moved in sync all over that field. It was amazing.
Yep that was the Ohio State, Nebraska game last week. Such a cool show! 🙂
Loved your poem. I felt bad because we’re probably the reason that mom was not home to carry the tuba. On the other hand, it was good material for a great peom..
No good poems would have arisen from a boring drive home with the tuba, that’s for sure. Besides, I had lots more fun out visiting with you guys.
Haha, this made me smile Char!
The piano was always my “instrument” of choice. All I can say is it’s a good thing I didn’t have to carry that big ole thing around.
I was always intrigued by the tuba though! That takes some charisma to pull it off. 🙂
Band instruments are secondary instruments to the piano in our household. Piano’s the best. And yes, it’s good people don’t have to lug those around. I like that I don’t have to puff out my cheeks and hold my breath to play the piano (like I see my son doing with his tuba).
My daughter has taken up flute for band, no tubas or trumpets in this house yet. Great poem. You need to print it out and tape it to your son’s wall, just so he can always remember what he inspired you to write! 🙂
Yes! He should see this. I meant to show him yesterday, but he’s been enjoying his days off of school with friends; and now he’s out with his airsoft gun having a war. Boys!
FUn poem! How adorable your son looks with his tuba. 🙂
Thanks! I think he looks so funny with it because it’s SOOO big!
Such a great poem!!
Ah, thanks! It was kind of fun to write.
Hahah – good idea to get the wagon (and I loved the purple pet dragon part in there). I had no idea tubas were that heavy and don’t see how anyone would have the energy to blow into those things while lugging them around. He does look cute with it though.
Glad you like the dragon. Sometimes I just write what comes off the top of my head, which is in the clouds. I didn’t know tubas were such beasts either. I had to weight it and the case just to feel worse about letting him walk home with it.
The wagon really is useful at all ages! 😉 My son decided he is playing the drums. I may have to invest in Advil. Great post! 🙂
Yes, wagons are great. I might have to buy another since ours broke. And yes, get the Costco size bottle of Advil if your son’s playing drums. My neighbor used to be in a band and he did drums. The whole neighborhood heard him in his garage when he practiced.