A Grateful Childhood Poem by Panagiota Romios

We were just kids in braids,
Playing cut-outs in Chicago's summers toasty shade.

The clanging streetcars ran in front of our homes.
Who cared? We were licking delicious ice cream cones!

There was no such scare as " sugar is evil."
Anymore the chance that we would find an intrepid boll weevil.

There was no TV till we were a tad older.
But we went to movies every Saturday and laughed so hard, we cried on each others shoulders.

We shopped at Woolworth's Dime Store
Bought "Blue Waltz" cologne andlittle lockets, girls our age adored.

The big treat was going to Riverview Amusement Park,
The alchemy of the stars made it magic after dark!

Swimming back in the ocean of time, I see how God blessed me to read books and learn how to rhyme.

Mom and Dad bought me many books.
I had a roll top desk, such a lovely look.

We loved saddle shoes, boy were they cool.
We'd sit and polish them, so lovely, we would drool.

We sat on the stoops and watched men in uniform, go to war.
Some sadly, we never saw their blue eyes anymore.

On your back porch we sat on the family swing.
Hearing songs and stories-the essence of my past, is so overpowering!

        
 10/31/2020

Tribute to my friend Joanie, since we were seven.
Seems like those days were pure heaven!