The Good Old DAys

Call me old fashioned, and maybe I( am just not that smart, but when phones and televisions become so advanced that I can't even figure out how to turn the TV off and on, maybe we need to step back a step. When we text instead of talk face to face, maybe we need to step back a step. Here is a poem my beloved father wrote years ago. it is not sophisticated poetry, it simply tells a truth.
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My father was not an educated man, at least by years spent in school, but he was very astute and very religious, and he loved to write. His meters might not have been perfect, but his poems always were very philosophical and whimsical in nature. While going through some things recently, I found this poem that Dad wrote in 1991.

Back in the horse and buggy days, folks were quite different in all of their ways-there was much work to do.

But, we had a lot of fun., the days seemed much longer from Sun to Sun.

We milked eight cows and walked a mile to school

To study our lessons and learn the Golden Rule.

We never had to worry about the work getting done

The days seemed much longer, we never had to run.

The day we're living in seems mighty fast

makes a fellow wonder how long he can last.

It's hurry, hurry, hurry, the whole day though

Just sleep a few hours and begin anew.

in bygone days, before we had cars,

There was very little said about a trip to Mars.

Folks didn't worry about the out space

Because when you traveled by foot, you ain't' a going no place.

Everyone had Neighbours and friends galore,

But now we don't know the man living next door/

We pass him on the street and what a disgrace

When we say to our wives, " I know him someplace"

Now, a church was built in each community,

Which gave every individual an opportunity

To gather each Sunday in one great throng,

And hear the Word preached in sermon and song.

The church of today has no place for the mourners,

It's located downtown on a busy street corner

Not much there for the hungry soul.

But that doesn't' matter if your name is on the roll.

Just put some money on the plate when it passes your way,

And that will see you through until the Judgement day.

She' a changing world, and She's gaining speed,

Not much love shown for the man in need.

Things have changed a lot in the past forty years,

Causing many people to live in fear

Everyone worries about something in the air

That will blast us to -only the lord knows where.

Now, I would like to see everything slowed down.

And buy a rubber-tired buggy to take me to town.

Old an old donkey can't travel the speed of sound.

But he will keep your feet much closer to the ground.

Old Dobbin could travel five miles per hour,

Which is really not too bad for one horsepower.

Now we must travel ninety or so,

Or we get it from behind that we are going too slow.

When we old-timers take a trip to the city,

And see thousands rushing we think "what a pity"

There are many more things that one could write

In trying to describe this man-made plight.

But, it wouldn't change this awful fright.

May God have mercy on those in the race

Carl L Starchman

March 19,1991