We traded marbles
baseball cards and comic books
played jacks and Old Maid
such lovely years of innocence.
Yet even then cowboys shot Indians
Superman fouled the bad guys
the wolf tried to get Red Riding Hood.
Our movies are more violent now
or at least more visually accurate
but has the world really
changes? It is humanity
that’s you and me—that
I question, are we
so different from those of old?
How different am I
from when I was twenty
so many years ago?
Am I wiser, more patient
more tolerant and loving?
Yes, in some ways I am
yet I can also be as
thoughtless, indifferent
quick tempered as I was back then.
I like to think we can change
improve, but sometimes it
seems we backslide too easily.
I don’t want to be pessimistic
so I keep trying to be a better person
know well I have
a long way to go.
