Memories Poem by Vincent LeVine

Memories
of hippies, barefoot
playing Frisbee in the park
drinking beer from light green bottles
listening to small transistor radios
tuned to FM channels
spewing familiar music in the air
on sunlit afternoons
when fresh air was in abundance
and no one was in a hurry

Memories
little keepsakes, collecting dust
in an old unfinished room
up in the attic
with a view of the driveway
and neighborhood kids
playing roundball
arguing about the fouls
making up rules so absurd

Memories
of T.V.'s, black and white
small antennas turned to achieve perfection
with knobs that were missing
perched on unsteady metal stands
that rolled for your convenience
around a house
small in its dimensions
cluttered with family photos
and odd-looking clocks
that caused suspicion

Memories
of cars, bigger than the driveway
with trunks made for travel
and fenders so substantial
flanked by doors that were heavy
even for your father
in colors made for springtime
with matching hubcaps
right for stealing
in a lot unattended
and an engine that would rumble
even while it idled

Memories
of a time that caused commotion
in a world that was divided
that produced several heroes
who didn't live a lifetime
and were cheated of tomorrow
who now serve as reminders
of political arousal
that included every color
and united all who listened
and believed in the promise
of a modern day solution
to all our worldly problems

What happened was convenient
for every politician
a country that grew lazy
and forgot about tradition
while counting all its assets
instead of assessing all its values
blinded by the glitter
and the constant evolution
in a world destined for corruption
and political invasion
lacking in conviction
and any sense of order
leaving children unattended
and a future so uncertain

Memories...