When I was a Boy

When I was a boy,

the days were long,

and summers went on forever.

My only care was making it home,

in time for dinner,

Hoping that it was burgers

and not spaghetti… again.

and that my Mother wouldn’t

notice the rip in my new jeans.

The world was a grand adventure

waiting to be experienced,

and almost everybody was my  friend.

If they weren’t, that’s just because

I hadn’t introduced myself yet.

There was never much trouble,

and what there was didn’t matter.

Because my mother could fix anything

that might go wrong with a single word

…or a kiss, but don’t tell my pals.

They’d never let me live it down.

Now I’m a man,

the days are shorter,

and summers almost don’t exist.

But I still try to make it home,

in time for dinner,

and hope that it’s burgers,

and not spaghetti… again.

and that my wife doesn’t notice

the stain on my new shirt.

The world is a still grand adventure

if only a little more worn around the edges

from too much play.

Most everyone is still my friend,

but there are far more people

to introduce myself to than I expected.

There is more trouble than I remember,

but it still doesn’t matter.

A kiss from my wife or a hug from my kids

can make a bad day wonderful just like that.

…and go ahead and tell my pals.

I’ll never let them live it down.