Tim Smith Poet Sonnet

No Service

Discarded cotton t-shirt shrunken and stained
on the side of a street pot-holed and veined
pants sagging low with no shoes on his feet
headphones blaring to the latest hip-hop beat

Heading down to the corner looking for a score
the old 76 filling station with the boarded up doors
how times have changed in a mere forty years
youthful exuberance gone  now nobody cares

Flash back we go to the days of my youth
hard work the requisite  as was the truth
running on empty  our roll was real slow
clean-cut attendant with bow-tie for show

Service with a smile, thank you and please
gone is simplicity and enjoying the breeze

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Casarah Nance February 8, 2016 at 2:52 PM Very descriptive and reflective write...sounds like something inspired by a walk home from work?

Carol Eastman February 4, 2016 at 1:37 PM Now drugs and empty lives await the young. I believe their lives would have been better if the mothers could have stayed home...

Anne-Lise Andresen February 3, 2016 at 1:53 PM - A touching sonnet, Tim - Great! - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Nette Onclaud February 3, 2016 at 10:12 AM i do miss those days when respect and good manners were cherished.. fine work, tim!.. huggs

Robert Lindley February 3, 2016 at 12:57 AM Exceptional sonnet my friend. "Flash back we go to the days of my youth hard work the requisite as was the truth." Yes, I remember those days, hard work was need to release the energy we had and to get the mulla to date the pretty gals. As back then the man always paid.

Suzanne Delaney February 2, 2016 at 7:23 PM I remember it well. Pride and decency could well be resurrected for everyone's benefit. The veined and pot-holed streets are because infrastructure takes second place to benefits for druggie dropouts who give service only to themselves. So much in this simple ditty. Giving this one a 7 and a FAV.

Jan Allison February 2, 2016 at 4:56 PM how times have changed Tim and not for the better I vaguely remember when we used to have petrol pump attendants - then self service became the norm - especially love your final couplet:-) hugs Jan xx