THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE:

Little did I envisage when I wrote

this poem that our world today would

be suffering a pandemic.

THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE:

The snow used to fall in the winter.

In spring and summer the sun.

We always took our holidays at home,

Having extremely good fun.

We used to be able to keep doors unlocked,

Throughout the very long day.

So neighbours wouldn't need to knock,

If a visit they wanted to pay.

There used to be a local shop

Which weighed sugar, butter and such.

Also a man selling fizzy drinks

Which then I didn't like very much.

Today the sun and snow appears at odd times,

And we prefer holidays abroad and the like.

It appears one prefers to travel by plane,

Then to keep fit on a bike.

We now have to have our doors locked.

Should undesirables come our way.

We're likely to get our windows smashed

Should we get in their way.

Now there are superstores,

That sell everything under the sun.

Making the fizzy selling man redundant,

And the sweet shop selling chewing gum.

Things ain't what they used to be,

Call it progress? or perhaps not.

When I come away from the superstore,

There's always something I've forgot.

Copyright Yvonne Lewis 2014:

From the book:

Moments Of My Life: