A Time Before by David Painter

My father sitting with the evening sun;
his eyes looking past the children at play;
past the couples hurrying to some romantic place.
He looks past the millions of city lights and
rushing cars
He looks past to a time when he was young
when white tee shirts
with cigarette packs rolled in the sleeves
were cool
when his hair was black and slicked back.

Men were coming home
wearing silk jackets with the map of Korea on the back
He had been there
fighting that war.

Now chopped mercury’s with 4 on the floor
Cruising looking to score

Bobby socked girls looking for the same
Cherry cokes, soda jerks, Car hops
this summer was made
for B bop

The fifties were overrun by the sixties
The jacket now frayed, hair streaked with grey.
soon Vietnam was all the rage.
Tour, just one tour, the army said sure.
A different kind of war
just a piece of jungle on the map
A lot of boys went and didn’t come back.
My father sits on a park bench most days.
I hold his hand and don’t know what to say.

I am a International published poet, I am a member of Inner circle writers' group and Penned in the city,.my works have been published in Sweetycat press.Piker press, Rye Whiskey Review, Clarendon House. Spillwords Press, The Writer’s Club, and Dyst Literary Journal.