AD.


1950s

Once Upon a Time

Best ice cream I’ve ever eaten
I hand cranked myself on our farm
best butter I had I hand churned as well
I’d milk the cow
get a gallon or two of milk
one-fourth which was cream
skim off the top
plop it in the butter churn
add some salt and crank away
sold a gallon of milk for fifty cents
pound of butter fifty cents
dozen eggs fifty cents
all this in the mid 1950s of course
roaming the woods from pond to pond
apple tree to apple tree
bare breasts in the barn
bare bodies in the field
post atomic bomb but pre-space
the last honorable Republican in the White House
TV’s golden age glowing
brand new rock ‘n roll fast fun
gas 27 cents a gallon
three channels on TV
party line phones
AM radio only
45s and 33 and a thirds
riding my bicycle everywhere
racing our miniature collie Lassie down dirt roads
climbing trees
climbing barns and sliding off roofs
climbing wind mills
lying in high grass in breeze of summer sun
watching no news
reading no news
knowing no news
the people in charge good enough at lying
so we didn’t know how crooked they were
all that mattered was sun and fun and girls
sad we were poor but not miserable about it
hopeful for the future
grateful for the present
and now six decades later
with over say and over prey and over stay
really really thankful for that past

– Smith, 4.15.2014


on the farm

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