When I Was A Child Poem by Linda Racaniello

I wanted a ranch home in the country
with cows, chickens, dogs and cattle
wanted to hunt & fish, cook on a fire
I wanted a cowboy who rode the saddle

I wanted to live without electricity
to tend and plant a garden with my hands
For this opportunity - I would give up all
for a way back in time to own that land

I wanted kids, and back-breaking work
I desired to pick berries and make pies
to attend church picnics and weddings
I wanted to live in time with less lies

To own my own farm, to ride on a horse
To chop and gather firewood to keep warm
I wanted a family that both needed & loved me
a cowboy who would keep me safe from any harm

I wanted a simpler time,
when everyone did their share
I wanted a life of love and sacrifice
wanted to be a mom who was always there

but as in life - there's no time machine
there is no way to just go back
I don't have a family or any kids
or cattle on a farm with wood to stack

The dreams I had weren't feasible
to go back to when horses ran free
when family & God meant everything
this dream wasn't even possible for me

I was living in a fairy-tale world
where the countryside was still wild
those dreams could never ever come true
but that's what I had wanted when I was a child