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Then, the Good Old Days

Then, the Good Old Days
Better than what’s now, always
This law, all obeys

When, in good times past
Bygones better, Everlast
Nows always surpassed

And, back further still
Even better then, until 
The best be all's it’ll

But, this trend is woe
Each past better than then's now
Life keeps getting worse

‘Till, the Now-a-Days
At the bottom of the hill
Things aren't looking up

No, they’re not and won’t
All generations to come
The next Kids Today

Copyright © Robert Schatz | Year Posted 2024

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Tom Woody Date: 9/27/2024 7:48:00 AM Hello? Anybody home? Login to Reply

Tom Woody Date: 7/1/2024 7:30:00 PM Hope you're ok rob Login to Reply

Joe Maverick Date: 5/9/2024 4:59:00 AM I knew I'd lost my darned telescope Robert.' It must have floated off in my dingy..True it was Rather dingey...One word of advice though you Need to put the small end to your eye..' and Then things will be more relatable to the current Times... If any z gen are reading this (I am talking about a fruity new publication) That will coming out soon.' Relatively mening.) Login to Reply

Susan Ashley Date: 5/5/2024 8:27:00 AM Dear Robert, your poetic pen is thought-provoking.. why is it that we see the past with rose-colored glasses? We tend to forget the pain of the past and only remember the pleasure. Nostalgia is funny like that. We don't ever seem to fully appreciate our present. I was especially struck by this verse "‘Till, the Now-a-Days/At the bottom of the hill/Things aren't looking up" - that's profound! Is it getting older that colors our "Now-a-Days" gray or is this really our new reality? Congratulations for your win in William's contest. Warmest wishes my poet friend.. ~Susan Login to Reply

Hilo Poet Date: 5/1/2024 1:41:00 AM Thank you, Robert, for your interesting piece I had found purposeful reasoning to afford it with a winning placement in the Senryu contest, my friend. Aloha, William Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 5/1/2024 10:08:00 PM Much obliged William...

Ink Empress Date: 4/30/2024 1:10:00 PM How nostalgic and profound is the way youv expressed here in the form of senryu, with some rhymes and some not, youv really made this flow and also left us all thinking deeply. Sometimes though we tend to look at things from the past through rose tinted glasses, although yes i do agree with you that somethings were so simple back then compared to now. Powerful one! I think if its for the contest will do well! Best wishes! Pleasure reading this Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 5/1/2024 10:08:00 PM Thank you as always Ink Empress :)

Hilda Greenhough Date: 4/27/2024 11:06:00 PM I enjoy this thought provoking poem. I hope things get better. Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 5/1/2024 10:08:00 PM Thank you Hilda.

Christina Bowring Date: 4/24/2024 10:40:00 PM Dear Robert, this is a very well written set of senryu’s and reflective too. It makes you pause to consider past, present and the future too. You wonder about the simplicity of the past and the modern age now and how destructive it can be. What the future holds for the generations ahead. ‘But this trend is woe’ . Really enjoyed your thoughts here. Thank you for sharing. Blessings to you :):) Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 4/27/2024 8:26:00 PM Thank you Christina! Blessings

Andrea Dietrich Date: 4/24/2024 10:18:00 PM I like your out of the box thinking with this one. Very interesting rhymes and message. Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 4/27/2024 8:25:00 PM Thank you Andrea

Silent One Date: 4/24/2024 10:53:00 AM Your poem offers a thought-provoking commentary on the perennial human tendency to romanticise the past while lamenting the present. Through its succinct and rhythmic verses, it captures the sentiment that 'the grass is always greener on the other side. The repetition of 'better than what's now, always' reinforces the theme of nostalgia for a perceived golden age that seems perpetually out of reach. It offers a reflection on the folly of nostalgia and the enduring allure of an idealized past. Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 4/27/2024 8:27:00 PM Thank you Silent One. I really appreciate you giving it a read and commenting. - Cheers!

Daniel Henry Rodgers Date: 4/24/2024 6:10:00 AM Hello Robert, What a wonderful picture of nostalgia and the perennial longing for a bygone era. Its rhythmic cadence and repetitive structure encapsulate the universal sentiment of looking back fondly on the past, believing it to be superior to the present. I loved how the progression from "Then" to "Now-a-Days" reflects a cyclical pattern of idealizing previous times, only to find disappointment in the current moment. Robert, your poem wonderfully captures the bittersweet essence of nostalgia of the eternal cycle of longing and acceptance that shapes our perception of time. - Blessings, Daniel Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 4/24/2024 10:41:00 AM Thank you Daniel for giving it a read. That bygone era probably wasn't so good during the bygone era (say before penicillin, indoor plumbing, and the polio vaccine).

Tom Woody Date: 4/24/2024 6:01:00 AM I wonder if there ever really was a good old days. Each generation has its blessings and curses. Nice list of senryus Robert Login to Reply Robert Schatz Date: 4/24/2024 10:38:00 AM No, there never were the Good Old Days; better said, the Good Old Days were never good in the Good Old Days. Thanx Tom as always for reading and commenting (in the recent past)