There Was a Time

~There Was a Time~

There was a time when I would look
out over the azure glory of a Michigan lake,
or tear up from the umber-brown beauty
of Grand Canyon in the Arizona sun.

There was a time when I smelled
the fragrance of fresh baked bread
when east winds blessed us with the aroma
from our neighborhood bakery.

There was a time when I could hear
Elvis singing on my neighbor’s hi-fi
without the head shaking sound
of a wooferized bass.

There was a time when I hopped
aboard moving freight trains
or climbed the tallest water towers,
indifferent to the loss of life and limb.

There was a time when Doug and I slinked
through harvesting backyards
pilfering grapes and teasing dogs,
ever mindful of how long the leashes were.

There was a time when I could eat
a box of Girl Scout cookies
as I watched ‘Cavalcade of Sports’
and never gain a pound.

And there was a time when I never felt
the cold as I scurried up and down
the sledding hill at Bancroft Park
with my Flexible Flyer proudly in hand.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010



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Date: 12/30/2010 9:32:00 PM
this is wonderful, James. I sure am glad I caught your name on the list to read this one tonight. One of your very best! And that last stanza, so much how I feel too (now about the cold!) LUv, Andrea
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Date: 12/30/2010 5:51:00 PM
James, enjoyed your poem. Stopping by to wish you lots of cheers & joy this comming new year.. May you always find new ways to share your talent and imagination with us here at the soup. Happy new year to you and your family,, God bless,.miss.p.d.
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