When . . .

For Mother, this Mother's Day

When . . .

A Mother's Day wish for you alone,
That you could take a trip back home,
But not just home -- no -- back in time,
To years and months and days gone by,

To sunny days that seemed so long,
So childhood bright and clear,
When tow-headed, barefoot kids sang songs,
And played outdoors, never knowing fear,

When night brought "lightning" bugs, to catch, and put in jars,
And kids played "swing-the-statue," to the light of a billion stars,

When grass was greener, people leaner,
And the good folks far outnumbered the meaner,

When meat, and milk and butter were good, and peaches came covered with "fuzz",
You ate what your mother fed you -- and no one knew what cholesterol was,

Long drives to the country on Sunday,
Saturday trips to the grocery store,
Every day such a fun day,
When red sawdust covered wooden floors,

Watermelon Gardens and nickel Cokes, if you had a nickel to spend,
Your favorite class was recess, when schools were still safe to attend,

Howdy Dowdy and Buster Brown, visits to Fat Nanny's house,
Reading Little Orphan Annie--being quiet as a mouse,

Dixie Cups and horny toads and movies for a dime, Whatever became of those good things?
I guess they were victims of time.

Life is easier now, for sure, but is it any better?
Than simpler days when the sky seemed bluer -- and -- rain seemed, somehow, wetter?

So many changes in so few years,
Hundreds of good times, thousands of tears,

But yesterday's gone, the present is here, and you celebrate another May,
As good as you were, in years gone by, you get better with each Mother's Day!