Booming

~

they never made us feel special

or told us that we were loved, 

we, the progeny of those frantic 

post-war years,

work hard, respect your elders 

and betters, keep your nose clean, 

values I’ve kept throughout life,

looking back seventy-five years, 

I’m not surprised at just how 

unremarkable it’s all been and 

whether I should have wanted more,

I could have written most of it down 

way back then, an ordinary life planned 

out with few steps veering off 

the path, no bucket list, no flash car, 

just a steady job, house, wife, kids, 

thus, settled in my twilight years

I look into their urgent eyes and 

say to the children of my children, 

go out and find the world,

the one I missed,

bring me back a piece to hold

*

© Graham R Sherwood 09/26