THERE WAS A TIME

There was a time, not many years ago, 
When women were honored and held in high regard.
When domestic violence was a thing so rare;
When we had consideration for our fellow man,
And common courtesy was everywhere.

There was a time, and it is sorely missed,
When movies were made for the family.
When all of our sitcoms were good clean fun.
We could watch any channel without remorse,
And XXX’s meant kisses to everyone.

There was a time, do you remember when?
Music was soft and warm, with rhythmic grace,
And our dancing reflected propriety.
Songs were words of love and sweet romance,
With no need for violence... nor profanity.

There was a time, I remember it well,
When English was taught- and learned- at school,
With teachers respected and free from harm.
When the spoken word could be understood;
When “cool” meant only that it wasn’t warm.

There was a time, and I can still recall,
When our guns and ammo were safely stored,
And used for hunting and games of skill;
Not employed for settling our differences,
Nor to arbitrarily maim and kill.

There was a time, I was much younger then,
When Love of Country just came naturally;
As we sang our Anthem we felt good inside.
To defile our Flag was a sin -- obscene,
And to serve in Uniform was a thing of pride.

Those times are sadly gone, but I’m sure it’s true,
If they ever returned, our lives would better be,
Because in just a few short years, it seems,
Our culture has changed... most drastically.