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I Remember Then

I remember when soda pop was a nickel
Same for a double strawberry popsicle,
Back then the best cars had long tailfins
We did silly things for “sh*ts and grins,”
Turned-up collars and slicked-back hair
We’d do almost anything on a dare,
Wearing white bucks, bell-bottom slacks
Playing marbles and eating cracker jacks,
Drive-In theaters and doing the jitterbug
The corner hangout where we cut a rug,
I remember flagging the Greyhound bus
A major form of transportation for us,
Clamp-on roller skates at the roller rink
With the Cold War, always on the brink,
Wild birthday parties playing Post Office
Where most of us got our first real kiss,
This was how it was way back then
When I was growing up and so, so thin! 

Written April 19, 2022

Copyright © L Milton Hankins | Year Posted 2022

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Caren Krutsinger Date: 4/20/2022 11:25:00 AM "Clamp-on roller skates at the roller rink" and remember how they would sometimes unclamp? Ugh! Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/20/2022 2:03:00 PM Oh, Lord, yes! We had a temporary rink that was set up just for the summertime and sometimes you'd hit a crack in the floor and whop! Deb and I used to go skating for a long time. It was our date night...and tremendous therapy. We did some ballroom dancing, too. We were such a crazy couple!!!

Kim Rodrigues Date: 4/19/2022 7:05:00 PM Enjoyed your memories! Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 7:38:00 PM Kim, thank you so much for reading my poem and leaving a comment. I really appreciated it.

Gershon Wolf Date: 4/19/2022 5:59:00 PM Gosh! What a great tribute to great times, Milt... Spin the bottle! ~ gw Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 7:39:00 PM Thanks so much for your read, gw. Did you ever play "Spin the Bottle?" Whoooopppppeeeeee!

Kenneth Cheney Date: 4/19/2022 11:15:00 AM Great memories and I relate all to well to your final line. Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 11:27:00 AM Ah, don't we all! Well, we didn't understand that business about middle-age spread until it happened to us, did we?

Ilene Bauer Date: 4/19/2022 9:35:00 AM wonderful memories, milton, described to a T! like the humor at the end, too... Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 9:45:00 AM Thanks so much, Ilene. Yep, those were the days, my friend.

Unseeking Seeker Date: 4/19/2022 9:24:00 AM Fond memories of yesteryears Login to Reply L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 9:45:00 AM Thanks, Unseeking Seeker, for your thoughts.

Tom Cunningham Date: 4/19/2022 8:19:00 AM They were certainly the best years Milton, happy days and grease comes to mind. Greetings from Turkey. Tom Login to Reply Tom Cunningham Date: 4/20/2022 2:56:00 AM Had it for about ten years now but we're thinking of selling as there's other places we want to go. L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 9:46:00 AM That's marvelous, Tom. Have you been going there for a number of years? Tom Cunningham Date: 4/19/2022 8:44:00 AM I've got an apartment here, cheap holidays and guaranteed sunshine. L Milton Hankins Date: 4/19/2022 8:21:00 AM Thank you so much, Tom. What in the world are you doing in Turkey???