Local Poetry

Days Gone  By Alex Bolton

Where have the days gone?
When the sun shone.
When seasons were separate,
Not rolled into one.
Flowers in December?
Which should be long gone.
Hot summer days,
Now a damp haze,
Rivers replacing our motorways!
Where have the days gone?
When we felt safe, at night.
Now were mugged, in broad daylight.
When People said "Hello" in the street.
When children thought ice cream a treat,
And, see a bobby on the beat.
When we did trust the spoken word,
Not TV adverts, how absurd!
When books we read,
Believed what was said.
When Christmas said a child was born,
Not all tinsel and popcorn,
When a pint of beer was half a crown,
Money in your pocket to go to town.
When our food was wholesome, good,
Not like rubber, putty, or wood,
Genuine, and colour free,
Is it organic or BSE?
Is someone trying to kill me?
Where have the days gone?
When I had a job for life,
Five days a week,
Without any strife,
Now I have to sit with the wife.
Where have the days gone?
When bikes were common,
And cars were rare,
To knock you down on the thoroughfare,
Now it's vice versa, so be aware!
When we didn't have the Internet,
Or the 747 Jumbo Jet, Just wars we cannot forget,
Where have the days gone?
When a double decker bus was a common sight
All lit up oh! What sheer delight,
Bumping on cobbles, you're up in the air,
Better than a ride on Silcocks Fair.
When we had proper snow,
Global warming to blame you know!
Not much Jack Frost to bite your toe.
Where have the days gone?
When bugs were normal,
And we called them germs
Now they're super, as big as worms,
We can't kill them off!
They have become too tough,
Antibiotics are not enough.
Where have the days gone?
When we had coal to burn,
Not North Sea Gas, or a calotherm,
But a banked up fire all aglow,
Us warmed you up before you go.
When horses trotted on our street,
To give our gardens manure sweet,
Making your rhubarb grow so tall,
Your neighbours grumbled,
Then they pinched it all.
Where have the days gone?
When Sunday was a day of grace,
Not a supermarket race!
Our churches now empty,
Has the devil won?
Where have the days gone?