Marilyn S Jennings Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

Thinking back about what our country was like when I was a child, the times
we shared as families, going on family outings, the respect that was shown
for each other, it is sad to see how far our country has fallen.

 

Reminiscent of Amerca I Knew

Reminiscent of the America I Knew

Seventy years have come and gone as though
 it was a watch in the night, 
and if we would choose to turn back the clock 
we can’t even if we tried with all of our might.

I was born right after WWII ended
in a time of buildup in our now and forever changed land, 
but it was a short lived peace with hope and dreams that 
would soon be dashed as we entered another war because of aggression in Korea’s land.

I remember I was a small girl as I read on daddy’s newspaper the big headlines
stating the Korean War has ended it was posted on the front page,
though I didn’t realize all of the implications behind that statement
I must have known that my daddy in this war at least would not be engaged.

There were soft summer nights of neighborhood fun as we kids
would play night games till about 10 p.m., 
we would run home and get washed up and into our beds
and then after being rested up and we would start it all over again.

It was a time when radio and television were fun and all would be listening and watching Father’s Knows Best and Let it to Beaver because they were sweet and clean, 
and not having to worry about language that was not suitable and sex outside
of marriage and trying to keep it all safe for your children in decency.

The children did a lot of fun things then, climbing trees, hopscotch, Red Rover
and marbles just to name a few,
the boys playing cowboys and Indians, baseball, basketball
and bb guns providing they didn’t aim them at you.

In those gentler times, women and girls were safe
within their own public or private restrooms,
because the men and boys for the most part knew their limits
and respected them as part of their early manhood grooming.



Families in those days had a father and a mother who instilled decency
 into the hearts of their child, 
and only a few in my classes at school back then
had ever chosen to run wild.

So what am I trying to say in this poem
that I feel needs to so badly to be said,
America, America how far you have strayed and fallen and the light
you once had has gone out and now simply put, it appears to be dead.

Written by:
Marilyn S. Jennings
May 2, 2016

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