Then and Now

I remember when I was a youth

How consoling it was to know

That I had little to worry about.

Ah, but that was long ago.

 

If, perchance, the roof had a leak,

Dad would be up there in a flash

To find the problem, and once he did,

Off to the hardware store he would dash.

 

Electrical trouble? He had it down.

Plumbing issues? No problem at all.

He examined the situations,

Addressing the problems large and small.

 

If my mom wanted a door

Moved from one wall to another,

My dad got out the sledgehammer.

Anything to please my mother.

 

Carpentry was not his thing.

That is where he came up short.

Intellectual creativity

Was his passion, his love, his forte.

 

My mom was super organized

And ready for any circumstance.

She handled the bills, managed the home,

And planned our meals weeks in advance.

 

Multi-talented she was!

She cooked and baked, knocked down fences,

Gardened, and kept us kids in line.

Discipline meant consequences.

 

She even managed to work for a store

As a bookkeeper. We always knew

That everything was under control,

Though we were far from well-to-do.

We kids all had our weekly chores,

Which we begrudgingly did, of course.

However, the way my folks made us feel

Safe and secure was a tour de force.

 

Life is very different now.

There's no way that I can repair

Leaky roofs, wiring, or plumbing.

I couldn't even on a dare.

 

I know how to call an electrician,

Plumber, roofer--anyone

To handle concerns at which I'm inept.

I want repairs correctly done.

 

But every so often I catch myself

Being at peace in my childhood room,

Thinking that all was well with the world

And having no thoughts of doom or gloom.

 

Young and naïve, all I knew

Was my little world, safe and secure.

Threats to that tranquility

Were imperceptible, obscure.

 

Little did I know at the time

That life for others wasn't so sweet,

That some lacked food and shelter and had

Difficulty making ends meet,

 

That some were caught in the middle of clashing

Armies, that innocent people were dying,

That people struggled for rights and freedom,

That life for some was horrifying.

 

Naïveté and complacency--

As comfortable as they might seem--

Can insulate us from world problems

As though we're living in a dream,

 

One from which we must awaken.

And when we do, we have to decide

Whether we'll work to better the world

Or stay in our comfy cocoon and hide.

 

-by Bob B (5-19-24)