Aaaahhh!
The music machine is back
Taking you on a journey
Into your memories
And some new adventures.
From sandlot baseball
Homer's into the pool
Walking on the rails up
To Arkansas to climb
The tall trees
Forty feet seems what it felt like
But who's counting?
Crawdad hunting
By the railroad tracks
Bike rides to Cheatham's
Foran RC and a Snickers bar
Afterhours of touch football
Reallydid Pogo 3,000 jumps
Withoutfalling off.
Strong,but slow legs
Anda stronger urge to please
After all, Preacher Wade
At age six
Was splainin' how Baptists
Were not sure those sprinkled
Were really saved
Since immersion
Was what baptism required.
Life was climbing trees
Especially the twin towers
Chinaberry trees made for
A great two level fortress
But rules being
No slingshot for Chinaberry fights.
Flying kites was the joy of spring
Keeping them up all night
Was a once in a lifetime miracle
March and April thrills
But then again
Swatting flies
In the backyard
Was its own secret pleasure.
Best of all
Living as we once did
With family at hand
Friends, too, smiled
When you showed up
At their table at dinnertime
Then went home for seconds
And tried not to let the secret out
Thatyou had scouted five kitchens
Beforechoosing your nightly host.
Oh, yeah, kids eight and younger
Walkeda mile down the tracks
Tograndma's
Orcousin's or auntie's
Orjust where the winds took you.
IvanBrown wrote a song
Whenwe were six
Remindingus the words Jesus said
Bechildlike
Notchildish
Keep a sense of wonder,
Thatinnocence
Thatbelieves you will live
Forever.
Becauseif you can remember
Who you really are
Youwill.
Dedicated to my first-born, Payton Erin Flanakin O’Roark, in honor of her mother
