sara Etgen-Baker Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

image from fineartamerica.com

poem submitted to "Playlist Poetry" poetry contest, Silent One, sponsor, September 22, 2026

Playlist Notes:

Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adms

Happy Together – The Turtles

Monday, Monday – The Mamas & the Papas

Do You Believe in Magic – The Lovin’ Spoonful

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

All You Need Is Love – The Beatles

Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds

A Groovy Kind of Love – The Mindbenders

Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles

Can't Help Falling in Love – Elvis Presley

Bus Stop – The Hollies

Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel

April Come She Will – Simon & Garfunkel

Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations

The Sound of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel

Puff the Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul, and Mary

Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchel

Time of the Season – Zombies

Here Comes the Sun – Rich Havens

April Love – Pat Boone

Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White – Prez Prado

Living on Cloud Nine – The Temptations

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playlist Poetry

It was late August the "summer of ’69."
Mike and I were "going on sixteen, " 
"daydream believers."
chasing "Puff the Magic Dragon"
and "ice cream castles in the air."

We tied our transistor radios
to our bicycle handlebars.
The little speaker crackling
 between bursts of static,
 pulling melodies from unseen places.

Mike rode beside me,
his laughter keeping time
with the clicking spokes;
our pedals did "turn, turn, turn" 
through our idyllic hometown,
our very own "land of Honah Lee."

We were living on "cloud nine" that "summer of '69."
At night, we kissed beneath
"moons and Junes and Ferris wheels,
feather canyons everywhere."

October arrived, and
"we frolicked in the autumn mist
in the land we called Honah Lee."

December came, "the leaves are brown
and the sky is a hazy shade of winter."
But in March, "here comes the sun;"
"April, come she will" 
with her "new moon bright above and 
cherry pink and apple blossoms white. "
It's the "time of the season
when love run high."

May afternoons stretched forever;
with our transistor radios,
we pedaled beneath elm trees,
certain every road curved
toward something wonderful.

The radio knew every shortcut
through the kingdom of sixteen
and the "land of Honah Lee."

"Monday, Monday" drifted from the speaker,
followed by "Do You Believe in Magic,"
and then "Daydream Believer,"
as if the air itself
had memorized the charts.

At sixteen, we never questioned the future.
Why would we?

"All you need is love"
seemed reasonable enough.
With very passing hour we wore
 our "Groovy Kind of Love"
 like a lucky charm.

We rode past porches, 
baseball diamonds, and
fresh-cut lawns,
while somewhere beyond the water tower
there were always "Good Vibrations,"

The radio traveled everywhere with us~
through long twilights,
through summer thunderstorms,
through first kisses
and our almost goodbyes.

Songs spilled from that little box
like bright confetti:
"Bus Stop," "Mrs. Robinson," 
"Build Me Up Buttercup,"
while "The Sound of Silence"
arrived as the evening sky turned lavender above the rooftops.

We didn't know enough to recognize nostalgia
while we lived inside it.
We only knew the thrill
of hearing a favorite song
float from that little box,
as dependable as summer.

♡Like0

Share Poem

---

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Beryl Edmonds September 24, 2026 at 5:22 PM A great playlist Sara, it takes us back in time, oh for those days my friend… Beryl

Joseph P. DiMino September 22, 2026 at 5:02 PM Mine, anything swing-jazz, orchestral, opera! "All you need is love" seemed reasonable enough. With very passing hour we wore our "Groovy Kind of Love" like a lucky charm. ' -- there was some great, happy music of the time. "We didn't know enough to recognize nostalgia while we lived inside it. We only knew the thrill of hearing a favorite song float from that little box, as dependable as summer." -- Great collage of sounds and memories. Well done!