Sit on my knee

Sit on my knee Take a second son, please come and listen to me Hop up here and take a seat upon my knee I want to tell you of a time, seems like forever, but it’s not so long ago When people said hello, even to those that they didn’t know And they’d stop to lend a hand, if you fell, or were made to look like a fool Rather than pull out their phone to Snap you and make you look like a tool We couldn’t wait to get older, so we could get away from those good old days See, we thought a world where no one cared about you would suit our ways We could stay up late, eat rotten food and watch whatever we wanted till dawn But as time marched on, before we realized all the good old days had up and gone Highways closed small towns off, mega-companies outpriced the stores we had known I guess we never can go home, the places we scurried to escape, the second we were grown Have all been replaced by new buildings all made to look just like a small town Only they’re owned by mega-companies. Those that can afford to act like they’ve been around Buy a condo and frequent the coffee chain each day, I guess it’s cool if you like to pretend that way. But son I remember when people took a minute and said hello Asking questions, waiting for answers that they’d already know It was wrong for us to run away, but I’d be a liar if I ever tried to say That I would do it all different if I could go back because I didn’t make it this way And it wasn’t like this before in our little town, everything wasn’t shiny and new People didn’t always dress for fashion, but for the most part they were nice to you We lived a little outside of the main streets, plenty country deep in these roots Spent plenty of time running through fields, plenty more cleaning mud from our boots Picking fresh veggies from the garden to munch on, pulling plums off the tree Climbing to the top of the tallest tree, just to see what you could see Riding bikes and watching the world slowly get connected by first cable then internet Begging my parents to get cable because you didn’t want to be the one that didn’t get In touch with the future, keep up with the news, music from all over the globe Then from the privacy of your living room watching crazy co-eds who disrobe A world which once had seemed too far? Overnight Amazon had brought near Before you knew it everybody had a cell phone pressed up against their ear Driving over the few people left standing on the roadside to wave Not to worry, you can always sue the ones who don’t want to behave Yes son, I swear that crazy as it sounds, people used to smile and say hello Friends and strangers alike would flash a grin and motion for you to go Through a door they held open, or to go first at a traffic intersection. Now, I know it seems some today wouldn’t even be fazed by the Resurrection! But it can be that way again! I know it sounds like there isn’t a chance Yet I feel I’m not alone, I think others feel that this circumstance Could be rectified, if those around us were given an example to follow Hold your angry tongue, breathe instead; take a deep breath and swallow Think about the things I’ve said and give it a try yourself Act as though you’re being watched by a Christmas elf And as you see someone passing by, smile and say hello Take a minute to see what your friend might know And someday, when you’re older, pull a young one up on your knee Tell ‘em all about those times, like the one shared now with me Keep the things alive in your life, that bring you a smile every day By showing the next generation, kindness is always the best way Tim Windisch 4/30/2019