#lifepoetry - Hello Poetry

Memories of Simpler Times *** I remember the cheese of my childhood, and the bread we cut with a knife, when children helped around the house and the men went to work, not the wife. The cheese never needed a fridge, and the bread was crusty and warm. The children were seldom unhappy, and home felt safe from the storm. I remember the milk from the bottle, with thick creamy goodness on top. Our dinners came hot from the oven, not wrapped from a freezer shop. The kids were far more contented, they didn’t need money for kicks. Just football out on the roadway and Saturday morning flicks. I remember the shop on the corner, where a penny bought sweets by the score. Do you think I’m simply nostalgic… or longing for something more? I remember the “loo” was the lav, and the bogeyman came in the night. It wasn’t the least bit funny going “out the back” with no light. Newspapers cut into little squares hung neatly upon a peg. It took very little to amuse us then, and life was simpler instead. The clothes were boiled in the copper with mountains of foaming suds, while Mum stood ironing endlessly, pressing the family’s duds. I remember the slap on my backside and soap if I dared to swear. Diets and fads were unheard of, and hand-me-down clothes were worn with care. But do you think it truly harmed us? Did it crush our spirit or joy? We ate what was placed on the table, and treasured each simple toy. Life wasn’t rich in possessions, yet somehow our hearts felt whole. And though times have changed forever, those old ways still warm the soul.

0

4d ago

May 30, 2026 at 9:07 AM UTC

LongJohnPaulBaldry

The Old Ways

Memories of Simpler Times *** I remember the cheese of my childhood, and the bread we cut with a knife, when children helped around the house and the men went to work, not the wife. The cheese never needed a fridge, and the bread was crusty and warm. The children were seldom unhappy, and home felt safe from the storm. I remember the milk from the bottle, with thick creamy goodness on top. Our dinners came hot from the oven, not wrapped from a freezer shop. The kids were far more contented, they didn’t need money for kicks. Just football out on the roadway and Saturday morning flicks. I remember the shop on the corner, where a penny bought sweets by the score. Do you think I’m simply nostalgic… or longing for something more? I remember the “loo” was the lav, and the bogeyman came in the night. It wasn’t the least bit funny going “out the back” with no light. Newspapers cut into little squares hung neatly upon a peg. It took very little to amuse us then, and life was simpler instead. The clothes were boiled in the copper with mountains of foaming suds, while Mum stood ironing endlessly, pressing the family’s duds. I remember the slap on my backside and soap if I dared to swear. Diets and fads were unheard of, and hand-me-down clothes were worn with care. But do you think it truly harmed us? Did it crush our spirit or joy? We ate what was placed on the table, and treasured each simple toy. Life wasn’t rich in possessions, yet somehow our hearts felt whole. And though times have changed forever, those old ways still warm the soul.