Now and Then

                    2008                                                                                1948

Monday - swim lessons at the YMCA.
My son frolics in fun with friends,
learning to swim in safe surroundings.          
                                                                                   Monday - swimming at the pond.
                                                                                   My dad escapes into a cool paradise;
                                                                                   bonding with buddies in nature’s pool.
Tuesday - league baseball practice.
Batting, bunting, sliding, and stealing,
perfecting skills with a coach’s direction.
                                                                                 Tuesday - baseball in the street.
                                                                                 Homemade bat, hand-me-down gloves,
                                                                                 hours spent reliving games heard on the radio.
Wednesday - guitar private instruction.
Strumming, dreaming of making a band,
learning music and confidence with each note.
                                                                                 Wednesday - playing drums on tin cans.
                                                                                 An imaginary arena in his Papa’s barn,
                                                                                 playing for an audience of poultry and bovine.
Thursday - math tutoring at the school.
Numbers are a mystery we must unravel.
One-on-one help to find the answer.
                                                                                 Thursday - spelling lessons until well into the night.
                                                                                 Tomorrow’s test brings anguish and grief.
                                                                                 Again and again, mother never relents.
Friday - sleep over with best friend.
Video games and pizza, the staple of life.
Laughing and playing late in the night.
                                                                                 Friday - camping out by the river.
                                                                                 Brothers and a pillow are all that are needed.
                                                                                 Ghost stories and star gazing until sleep overtakes.
Saturday - baseball tournament.
Game after game going for the gold,
family and friends cheering us on.
                                                                               Saturday - brotherly competitions.
                                                                               Sunrise to sunset, the games abound,
                                                                               from dominoes to football there must be a winner.

                             Sunday - Grandpa and grandson day
                             Listening to glorious stories of how things were,
                             discovering similiarities with how things are.