Sunday 18 December 2016

The Good Ole Days?

Time creeps up on us the older we grow
Bent and wizened like an ancient oak tree,
Grasping the future all those years ago
The golden ole days seem the place to be.
           
A song on the radio from yesteryear
Long summer days drenched in the sun,
Wistful memories and lives without fear
A night out with friends having so much fun.
            Now
What if the past was turned upside down
What if the future was flipped all around?
Would we still yearn for the good ole days
And not look back in a rose tinted haze.
            So
How would we welcome the oncoming past?
            With
Imminent conflicts, other people’s wars
A time long before the smart mobile phone,
No Wi Fi or texting so how would we cope
No long haul travel holidaying at home.
            And
The 1970’s a decade of strikes
Fuelling an era of dissent,
Skyward inflation with many price hikes
Bitter was the winter of discontent.
            But
What if we enjoyed the here and now?
What if looked on with a little less haste,
What if we’re more forgiving to others?

Live for the moment in a calmer place. 

© Copyright Julian Clarke 2016

11 comments:

  1. I think that we often forget that the good ol' days were the days when we still were young. That could be true rose that tint our glasses wishing for what's passed.

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  2. What if we "live for the moment in a calmer place." That is the secret, Julian, and thank you for putting it so beautifully, so one stops and recognizes the truth in it. In such stressful times, that is the best thing we can do.

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  3. Yup, I'm with you all the way here, Julian - well developed towards your close...

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  4. Hmmm, not sure my comment went through. I do remember days in the sun when I look back. I likely wasnt as tuned in to the political scene then as I am now.........and I love your sage advice to "Live for the moment in a calmer place." Very wise. Thanks, Julian.

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  5. Sounds good to me. Hey, light a seasonal candle for your gift. :)
    ZQ

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  6. Good message here. Usually I am able to do this. We have only one 'here' and only one 'now. I am going to try harder to appreciate them! Thank you for this poem. Have a happy holiday, and hope to see you in the new year.

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  7. The ending is perfect time is now, even though it is fun to travel back now and then. I think we as humans tend to have selective memories. Sometimes, we forget about the harsh realities of the past.

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  8. Once again, your facility with rhyme has blown me away! An interesting piece and a pleasure to read.

    "Live for the moment in a calmer place." Wise counsel, Julian (though I suspect that advice may be a tad easier to adhere to, in the idyllic Guernsey countryside than in the high rise concrete canyons of Vancouver ... Lucky You ... smiles.)

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  9. "What if we’re more forgiving to others?" aha...the essence of life...& peace guaranteed...

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  10. Excellent! Definitely one of your best, Julian.

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