Then and Now
Then and Now
I knew an old fellow that lived all alone,
He wasn’t very friendly and they said his heart was made of stone.
In an unpainted house up on Quigley Hill was where he stayed,
The kids on our block called the place haunted and most were afraid.
His old yard was a mess, filled with weeds and cluttered with junk,
They said there were graves out back, that he’d chop up people and bury them in old trunks.
Well being the ripe old age of twelve, I just had to have me a look see,
The old gate creaked as I pulled on it to let me in, then I broke and ran for the cover of
an old oak tree.
Then quiet as a mouse I turned and there he stood,
He grabbed my arm and said, reckon you’d be up to no good.
My little heart sunk cause I knew he was going to put me in one of those trunks,
Off to his old house we went and he said, been watch’n you and those other little punks.
He said boy ain’t you got nothing better to do than go around bother’n folk,
An old Model T sat next to the back of the house and one the wheels had a broken spoke.
He said boy do you know what they do to trespassers in these parts,
I couldn’t even make a sound and where he had hold of my arm was starting to smart.
He said I’m gonna show you what I do so maybe you youngun’s will leave me be,
Up to his old attic we went and I got to tell ya, I was getting mighty shaky in my knees.
Then he flew open the door and there was the biggest telescope I ever did see,
He said I’m an astronomer for the government and they pay my fees.
Well he said I’m not a meanie and if you’d like I’ll let you take a look,
It was awesome like things I’d once seen in a book.
He said you and your little buddies are welcome to come by and look, but no more sneaking
around,
Well the old guy got to be the best friend a bunch of kids have ever found.
In return for his niceness, we cleaned up his old yard and whitewashed his old place,
Looking back on memories, and how we make judgments on people without even knowing their case.
I’ve learned not to be too hasty in the way I view people today,
Before I draw a conclusion I at least let them have their say.
Copyright © Ronald Bingham | Year Posted 2008
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