by John Babin
Wish
Book
There was a time, so long ago
When I was just a lad.
I lived at home with my Mom
And she lived with my Dad.
We all lived there as one big group
With two sisters and two brothers.
And ‘round the corner, more of us
Mom’s sister and her mother.
Sunday nights at Gawgie’s house
There always was fried chicken.
And not to try to steal a phrase
But it was quite ‘finger lickin’
Sometimes I have wished and prayed
I’ve wanted to go back.
To that time of simpler days
When worries I would lack.
We played all day out in the jungle
It was just a wooded lot.
I remember all the things we did
But some, I have forgot.
Me and Paul and Philip, too
In one big room we stayed.
In and out, and front and back
This is where we played.
The girls? – we made them stay up front
Away from all us guys.
But they’d always look out for us
Sometimes with snooping eyes.
Christmas time was always fun
Down at Gawgie’s house.
We laid awake all Christmas Eve
Keeping quiet as a mouse.
How did Mom know what we wanted?
Well, this is all it took.
We folded back our favorite pages
In the giant Sears "Wish Book".
