Some Little Thoughts

How I recall those days!
Those happy days of youth
When life was tomorrow's school test
And playing games was more important
Than the amount of money one possessed.
Oh, happy life!  How I wished I’d rightly assessed! 

When birthday parties were amazing times,
To be anticipated and enjoyed as much as Christmas day;
When friends brought boxes, wrapped with bright-coloured bows,
And ice cream was devoured by the ton (so was the proposition);
And fellowship and love were the supposition
In the world of youthful wonderment.
Oh, happy life! So content! 

When mom and dad stood higher than the rest:
They seemed to know all there was to know.
Wise, loving, and ready to help in times of need:
A warm shoulder; a gentle hand; or a sweet kiss (soothing magic in times of pain).
Never too busy to attend my cares,
Never too strong that I couldn't bend them
With a smile, a touch of the hand, or a kiss …
Oh, life! What bliss! 

When far-away places smacked of magic (or, so it seemed)
And adventures were stored in dreams
To be experienced in the quiet of the night
When no-one else detracted one from one's mental sight.
When monsters were fought, hand to hand,
And the right always won over the evil few,
And the difference between a man and a child
Was the length of his trouser leg –
Or the curve of the ankle just above the shoe.

How I recall those happy day of youth!
Girls were funny, awkward things
Who couldn't play as we,
And they talked in strange tones, high-pitched, scratchy resonance
That sent shivers, running down my spine,
And I had sensations that I hadn't felt before
That drew me near to her I saw
When I was a boy and still struggling to understand
What makes a man
And: How does one make a manly stand? 

How I recall those happy, happy days!
Gone forever are those warm days of youth!
And, in exchange, I see myself, cynical and aloof.
I've learned how man can be unkind,
How money rules the day,
And those without it are not respected,
Since 'cash-and-carry' has replaced fellowship and love:
Those things that really matter in a world
Upturned and transferred out of sight,
So that night is day,
And day is night