The kid from another time.

Raised on egg and chips.

Spam fritters, sardines on toast,

skinned knees and busted zips,

nivea on winter chapped lips.

Only three channels on the TV.

And no remote control.

Everything was black and white.

And the fire burnt real coal

as we watched wrestling and 

football results,

Daleks and Doctor Who;

and behave yourself or else

The bogey man will come for you.

Shocked silence in the living room

when news broke Kennedy had died

and Christmas was religious,

not yet turned commercial.

And the people with the colour sets

They had a posh kind of aerial

that was bigger and somehow shinier.

Summer lasted half a lifetime.

school dragged forever.

Smacks around the earholes.

For acting far too clever.

No such thing as a mobile phone.

Or a Happy meal to go.

and doors remained unlocked.

In the trusting suburban home.

Then the kid from another time

became an adult in another place,

whilst the kid from another time

still wears a smile on his face.

Reviews

[Donald Meikle]

bin there but no telly nor nivea some bloody good memories though

[Taylor]

You've captured the essence of growing up in the last half of the Twentieth Century. Fun to look back on all of those things that seem so foreign now -- some things gained and some things lost. Glad there's still a smile on the kid's face. Well done.

[Tinman07]

Kennedy was a little early in my life, but other than that - a pure nostalgia trip... and I'm old enough to respect the work that goes into rhyme and metre, without using rhymes just because they are there (I try to avoid that.. but am sometimes guilty)
Christmas not yet commercial - and the end of May was the Whit Walks, not just another bank holiday weekend.
A nice piece.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i grew up in this era...the black and white tv...playing outside, not in...

seemed simpler then...my mind goes back there a lot...although the rest of me is stuck in the middle of now.

[alanwgraham]

I remember it! I like it!
Alan