Poem 18: Kids Today

They say, “What’s the matter with kids today?”

I seldom see them in the fresh air at play

It’s a rarity to see a child playing on a swing

In fact to see them outside doing anything

Do you remember when you were just a kid?

The games you played, the sports you did?

Playing all day in the light

Still having fun into the night

When playing tag was one of the games to play

And you had the energy to go all day

When was the last time you got to meet

A group of kids playing hockey on the street

In the winter, hockey was the neighborhood game

Different players, teams were never the same

You never had to worry about being one of the last picks

The problem was solved by just shuffling the sticks

It was nothing seeing twenty kids in all

Running around shooting that tennis ball

We were all playing for our favourite teams

A bunch of kids living out their dreams

I remember being Glenn Hall for quite a while

Then I was Tony O and played that butterfly style

The Montreal fans were “Rogie” when he was in

Then Ken Dryden, resting that stick under their chin

You played after school until it was dinner

Remember the phrase “next goal is the winner?”

After supper most of the nights

You’d rush to the playground to play  under the lights

If the rink was covered in snow, you wouldn’t care

You’d be handed a shovel, and do your fair share

Back then, there was no machinery to clear off the ice

It just went with the territory, you didn’t think twice

After the rink was clear and your work was all done

The ice was yours to enjoy and have fun

Before the lights went out, you were issued that warning

Then home to bed and you were back the next morning

You see we were outside treating everyone the same

Not stuck in the house playing that electronic game

Burning off all the energy we could possibly get

Not playing games in front of that television set

Kids can’t believe it when they hear us say

We only played indoors on Minor Hockey Day

After always playing outdoors, it was quite a treat

To play in the Gardens on that indoor sheet

We were always playing out in that cold

We never stayed inside with our lives put on hold

We played sports and games all the year through

It was something we enjoyed and all liked to do

Now when school is over, what do you see?

An empty yard where kids used to be

You hardly see a kid there from January to December

I just wonder, when today’s kids get older, what will they have to remember?