A Time Passed

I grieve for a time that will never return

And the more time that passes

The more that I yearn 

For a time that seems fable

To the young ones that hear 

A time before information 

Made so much unclear 

A different kind of busy 

Our days were fuller 

Quieter and slower 

Yet, less duller  

We knew our neighbors 

Without using our phones 

We were less connected

But much less alone 

We had real food 

To place on our tables 

We could nourish our families 

Without closely reading each label 

School was still simple 

Before Common Core 

Not just about testing 

Or achieving some score 

The teachers created joy 

The children could learn and play

The parents actually asked their children 

All about their day 

We weren’t cooped up indoors 

 Or babysat by a screen 

Shamed for not sitting still 

Then diagnosed with ADHD 

The Mamaws looked like Mamaws 

Aging was embraced  

They gifted us wisdom and love 

Portrayed in the lines of their face 

The days were lighter  

Our replies weren’t instant 

We were much less available 

But not quite as distant 

Today we have access

To everything and more 

Yet I think many of us 

Preferred it before