The Ice Cream Man Poem by Steven S. Walsky

The ice cream man's bell
rang loud and clear
children came screaming
as treats did near
Each child had a story
a future
a past
Each child had a dream
how long on a stick
in the hot sun
would it last
As children's stories of the day
would be recited in haste
he would listen and nod
he would smile and contemplate
While mothers from windows
thought about food on supper plates
Riding in on
a white truck
like a stallion
they see on western TV
To the gathering mass
of screaming young'ens
he was part champion
part eavesdropper
part praiser
part referee
Most of all
he was a salesman
On the one hand the protagonist
an adult that listened
On the other the antagonist
gathering coins that glistened

(The Ice Cream Man, © Steven S. Walsky, August 7,2013, all rights reserved.)