If you grew up in the suburbs...
During a time called the wonder years...
A time when we all ran around barefoot...
And skinned our knees without any tears...

We woke up early in the morning...
Played games throughout the day...
Had friends in every neighborhood...
Rode Stingray bikes way past the Causeway...

If we ever got into a scuffle...
We would scream uncle in the end...
Then we would help each other up...
A new pal becoming a lifelong friend...

We would either go fishing at the lake...
Or play ball in the old sand lot...
But we could never arrive home late...
Dinner was served at 6:00 on the dot!

During the warm summer nights...
We’d finish dinner as fast as we can...
So we could go back out and play...
And run blindly behind the Fog Man!

It was a neighborhood tradition...
To follow the Fog Man ever so far...
Some of the boys would really get hurt...
Riding their Stingrays into a parked car...

Eventually we’d all make it back home...
With fog spray in our eyes and our hair...
Mom would order us up to the bathtub...
Leaving our clothes at the bottom stair...

The best time to ever live in the suburbs...
During a time called the wonder years...
Back when boys could simply be boys...
Parents could live without any fears...

© 2021 Jeffrey Pipes Guice