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Why can't our gray,
turn again into a child's
crown of sandy curls -
exploring the summer
Montauk campground
'neath a June sun.
We five siblings growing
up in the 1960's-70's in
our Mickey Mouse caps,
the Wonderful World of
Disney show on Sunday
nights.
Our parents weren't
perfect,
though we thought
they were,
they were so youthful
then,
as we rode in our
green 1960 Rambler
on our many Long Island
day trips.
The 1964-65 N.Y. World's
Fair was my favorite.
I wish it was still there
forever.
Dressed in Easter finery,
us kids taking candy from
each other's Easter baskets.
Our town of Massapequa,
such Americana,
with parades that
thundered into memories.
Our modest home with
a barn-red exterior,
and petunias in
window boxes.
The old school days of
Soupy Sales, the Beatles,
and Romper Room.
The ongoing Vietnam War-
as my mother and I wept
of its tragic toll on our
youthful soldiers.
My mother's golden
beehive like cotton candy.
We were middle class
classics with 4th of July
picnics and in autumn
made gooey candy apples.
Our Christmases were
exciting,
shiny new Schwinn bikes
and a Wonder rocking horse.
Laughter and content was
in our home.
My father was the
breadwinner,
Mom was an anti-war
housewife activist,
and we all danced to
those wondrous
60's songs.
The Good Humor man
jingled bells down our
summertime suburban
street as we caught
fireflies in jars.
Fifteen years passed,
one by one us young
adults moved on into
our separated lives.
There were never
family reunions,
only the oldest and
youngest siblings and
their children ventured
back there because they
were invited.
I heard my father
passed away at 84,
my mother is now
90.
Though I made some
mistakes of a foolish
youth,
my heart needed a
band-aid when my
mother wrote to me
that I hadn't lived up
to my potential.
Yes, the decades of
the 60's and 70's passed,
Estrangement can injure
a person's soul,
yet, I still have so many
joyous memories,
even though my
siblings and I haven't
been under the same
roof ever again,
but I'm not as bitter
as before.
I dream of us siblings
at the World's Fair,
and smile. ~
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