Church Picnics

Summertime memories of better days Playing outside way past dark Bungalo was the community pool Church picnics at Dutch Hill Park Sliding boards and old metal swings A box for the little ones filled with sand There were monkey bars and seesaws A merry go round that we turned by hand A pavilion full of picnic tables Where neighbors sat together to eat And the old beat up wooden dance hall That gave little relief from the heat Usually they had a polka band Playing polkas, waltzes and rock n’ roll Wooden floor jammed with people dancing Those memories touch my soul Sometimes we’d run down to the baseball field Play ball until we were soaked in sweat Or sneak down the woods when we got a chance We’d all have a cigarette Then we would walk back to the picnic Get food at the concession stand Carry it over to the dance hall And listen to the band The picnics lasted until late at night Neighbors sat talking and having a good time A hamburger was only twenty cents And a beer was only a dime Take me back to those innocent days Where my memories still roam To church picnics at Dutch Hill Park Saints Peter and Paul and Saint Jerome.