Best Nostalgiacar Poems
Dad began work pushing a broom at the Chrysler Corporation.
A paltry fifty-five cents an hour was his compensation!
'Twas during the Great Depression when times were really hard.
He was elated to get the job and held Chrysler in high regard!
Dad was a "Chrysler" man thro' and thro' and for his "wheels",
Always owned an assortment of Plymouth and Dodge automobiles.
The one I recall as a lad was a Dodge, a nineteen thirty-five.
It was in this car that my patient Pa taught me how to drive!
Brand spanking new it cost Pa six hundred forty-five bucks.
It was touted as the latest and greatest, an auto car deluxe!
The gearshift and dimmer switch were located on the floor.
To indicate a turn or stop, you hung your arm out the door!
The spare tire was on the trunk with a ram's head on the hood.
It was the sharpest vehicle in all that Hoosier neighborhood!
A feature was the new leaf springs, providing a smoother ride.
He kept her washed and waxed - 'twas truly his joy and pride!
The old Dodge survived World War Two, bald tires and all.
It took us where we needed to go and would seldom ever stall.
It served us for nigh on fifteen years 'til, alas, she died.
('Tis still told in family lore that my Pa broke down and cried!)
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved)
I had a special little Ford
That was so shiny black
It was a tiny two-door coop
With a brake light in the back
I paid out all my money
One hundred twenty-five
There was a clutch and a brake
So I could stay alive
I think it was a '43
Though people said "not likely"
"They did not make them in that year"
But there it was...so sprightly!
I had a car though I was young,
I think I was sixteen
Safety didn't interest me,
But my car stayed shiny and clean
It had a quirk, it's cause unknown
The brakes would heat and seize
Used my strength to push the pedal
But thrilled to feel the breeze
As to the little brake light
Right there in the middle
The brakes got hot; the light stayed on
And never dimmed a little
I'd park the car so it could cool
The light finally gave relief
The longer I drove, the hotter it got
That was my belief
I no longer had a need to explain
Why the light refused to dim
Even during the cooling rain
On my car with the fancy trim
I wonder as I think of then
How did I stay alive?
Was I indestructible?
My main thought was – I could drive!