Greying Men's Boyhood Dreams Poem by Peter Hall

I went down to the local show
Where I could smell the steam
Of antique engines & tractors
And greying men's boyhood dreams.

Rows of old John Deere's
Among the oiled steel maze
Rows of competing engines
Remind them of glory days.

The sight of white oil helping
The engines lubricate well
Bring out hidden feelings
That now come out of their shell.

These engines bring them comfort
Of good feelings from the past
A feeling of past securities
That never seemed to last.

In a world of constant change
You could see it in their eyes
These old engines stay the same
Certainty is their cry.

What do these men teach me
How did they end up like this
My future is not in my past
And the past was not always bliss.

"Roll up Roll up, tickets here
Come back in time & see our gear
Come & feel your faces glow
At the antique engine show."