Poem 10: Sentimental

Some kids are hooked on video games and can’t stray too far from the screen

While others are decades older, hooked on them before they were a teen

I understand the latest addiction is called “fortnite” an online game they play

This game has become so popular, these players refuse to stray

It got me to thinking about how evolved electronics has come since I was a boy

The man who lit the fire in me, most people just called “Roy”

The first memory I recall is when he would test the tubes on the old tv

He would pull every one of them out to test them out and see

We would carefully place these glass tubes in a container and bring them to a store

Where a machine would tell which ones were bad, to him it was no chore

He would buy the replacement tubes, you had to set them in just right

The tv worked till the day he died, that tin covered black and white

He had a love for music, sometimes he played them all day long

He loved the big bands and crooners, don’t recall his favourite song

We had a covered in front porch loaded with a stereo and sound

Sitting on his easy chair listening to tunes was the place where he could be found

One day when we came home from school he shared a special treat

He purchased a Bradford stereo from Zellers, that swept us off our feet

A beautiful piece of furniture that sat in the living room in full display

It contained a record player, radio, and  a cassette for us to play

Now we could buy tapes and record music of our very own

To share with all our friends or listen when we were all alone

He worked for the railroad which required layovers at the “Y”

In his briefcase he would pack a radio, he was that special guy

Get into his boat and fish, a little portable tv would be there to see

It also had a radio, how much happier could he be?

When the video game revolution started, it didn’t take him long

We were the first kids in the neighbourhood to play the game of “pong”

I’ve followed in his footsteps, I love the electronics it would appear

Although we have no 4K stations, I bought the television this year

I was the one who bought intellevision when it was first placed on the shelf

It was just something that happened, I couldn’t help myself

I graduated to Playstation and Playstation II as I recall

I needed to have them, I had to possess them all

I had the twelve foot satellite dish, which in the backyard looked so wrong

But what did I do when I bought new house? I took it along

I taped every movie that I could possibly view when the dish was working then

Still packed in boxes in the basement, when will I watch them? Who knows when?

I got my computer that I use most every day

Hooked up to my tv that’s fifty inches proudly on display

I caught the electronic bug from you, you’re the one to blame

There is no reason to hide it, there certainly is no shame

Maybe it’s generational because my children seem to have it too

One thing we can confess, is we truly do miss you

Thirty years ago this year, you had that heart attack and didn’t survive

You’d be a hundred years old now if you were still alive

I played Dean Martin on that old stereo to you, and it truly made me sad

It was just my way of showing how much I miss you “Dad”