There Was a Time

There was a time When you could bike to the gas station And buy Orange Crush in a bottle Grape if you could find it Ten cents out of a machine Cold and orangey on a summer day There was a time When you taped baseball cards to your bicycle spokes, and Rode fast enough for the cards to make A sound you'd never forget Where did it all go When did it go There was a time when candy cost a penny A nickel at the most for Black and red licorice twists Clark and Zagnut bars Dots, Milk duds, and so many more There was a time When we’d swim at the city pool Take long bike rides going nowhere Play dodge ball at twilight, and Spotlight tag in a dark basement or at night Just to round out the day There was a time when neighborhood kids play together Rain or shine; inside or out, it didn’t matter We played together because the more the merrier Unaware, there’d never be another time like back then When we played together; we played in teams and competed, but without the racism and discord, the factions and fractures, the hatred that Exists today. Where did it all go When did it go Why did we let it go How can we get it back Why did we let it slip away Can we get it back, or Is it gone forever