When Did Youth Go? Poem by Terence George Craddock (Spectral Images and Images Of Light)

When did I stop being a teenager?
When did I stop listening to the radio
from midnight until 2 or 3 a.m. weeknights?

Why was teenage music so empowering?
Why were we so absorbed with the music?
Music which really rocked our wild souls?

Music we danced at local teenage disco too.
Music we drove our parents or first cars too.
Music we drank beer or spirits or partied too.

It seemed we could not live without music.
It seemed we could not meet without music.
It seemed our dreams lived within the beat of music.

Music was part of the fuel which drove our souls.
Music was part of the weekend ever speeding by.
Music was magic drumbeat of hot midnight parties.


Where is the large rocking crowd going?
Where are all the friendly teenagers going?
Where are all those old friends going?

Where where is large trendy rocking crowd going?
Where where are all the friendly teenagers going?
Where where are all those good old friends going?

Suddenly those wild unending party days are over.
Suddenly those exciting unending teenage years are over.
Suddenly those pubs full of our friends are empty.

Suddenly they all suddenly left town.
Suddenly they are all no longer around.
Suddenly they are all in places we don't go.

Suddenly they all suddenly left the old home town.
Suddenly they are all suddenly no longer around.
Suddenly they are all in places we don't know or go.


Where did those teenage years quietly go?
Those teenage friends I used to know?
Where did they all suddenly go?

Where did those teenage years quietly creeping go?
Those lost teenage friends I once upon a time did know?
Where did they all suddenly go exiting a vanishing show?



Copyright © Terence George Craddock