Robert Winthrop Poems

When we were kids and sent to bed
When dusk had barely passed,
My brother Tom and I would play
A game, "I Touched You Last."
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Are aprons passé? There may still be a few
That say 'Kiss the Cook' when men barbecue.
For Gram they were vital; they saved her good dress
When cooking and cleaning or clearing a mess.
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I just saw in the paper that a friend of mine had died;
I had not seen him for some time, but still I nearly cried.
I thought of days when we were kids and every summer's day
I'd go and ask his mother if he could come out and play.
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When I was newly married and adjusting to the life,
I went to see my mother and complained about my wife.
I wasn't kind then to my wife I really must confess.
Her cooking wasn't up to par; she left the sink a mess.
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It could have been for any game or for a spelling bee,
Or maybe for flag football or Ollie Ollie Oxen Free.
I'm sure we all remember them, this girl and this boy,
They were the last ones chosen, we'll call them Tom and Joy.
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I had a friend who lost a leg
While in the war in France,
And with this loss he also lost
The chance to run and dance.
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When I was six and in first grade,
We found a house complete
With yard and fields and great big trees,
A house on Pleasant Street.
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One night when I was safe in bed,
I counted many sheep,
But any means which I employed
Would not bring dreams or sleep.
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In junior high I had a job at Osterloh's book store.
My job was framing pictures and sweeping up the floor.
Because I worked, I couldn't be in Central School's class play,
They made me curtain puller, and I took part in that way.
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I give you these poorly wrapped gifts
And hope that you will find something about them to like.
These gifts that cost a few dollars
But can never equal the value of
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