Lollipop

Sadness surrounds me like a comfortable cloak.
It is in this state
I think of life
as it should be.

People don’t use words like that anymore.
Cloak. Icebox. Milkman. Going Steady.
Musicians are not as jovial
when they sang songs like
Lollipop, Mr. Sandman, The Name Game.
The tenderness of an era.
The realities of advances
further confusion and guilt.

Sinister maladies tell
lessons to be learned
while girls playing hopscotch
on city streets prevail.

I want to stand on rooftops and smile
drive with the top down and sing
go to confession and be truthful.
I want to eat
without worrying
about
fatty acids, bad cholesterol
carbohydrates.
If only I can trust myself
to remember
reasons why
I refuse to cherish moments
watching seconds pass.

It’s not all that bad.
Children tell us through action;
especially our own.
The weight for them
too much to carry
while picking fresh flowers
and wondering
how great it will be
to be just like their parents.