when upon this place
I ventured
XLVII years ago
a telephone was
hardwired
television
round, tiny, snowy, black and white be
safety a second, tenth thought with
seatbelts accessories
helmets nonexistent
in hockey too you see

electricity ran
lights, appliances, radio, tv
and that’s about it
no personal computers
basic was newborn
debugging a literal thing
social networking only
held to philosophical comprehension

scar inducing
were school yard things
bulling, strictly verbal, physical
no lawyers called
as principals relish
corporal straps
on boyish hands

moved our own way
to school in
sleet, snow or blazing sun
no one drove us there
or to soccer practice, games
to the mall
to the pool
to anywhere less than
twenty miles or so

but then again
on my banana bike I
attempted sixty miles
several times
alone

yes alone
no paranoiac messages
bombarded all senses
fortressing home and children
with stories in reality
more frequent then
and rarer nowadays

in our hands
pencils, pens, sticks
no instant gratification
no world-wide friend station
no drama excepting
comic book fascination

there it is
the age I’ve hit
looking back
to simpler days
I didn’t say better
but there it lies still

XLVII

© 2011 by DC Lessoway