Innocent Hope

Back when summer meant,
days off spent sleeping
Back when summer meant,
running through fire hydrants in your underwear
Back when summer meant,
your hands were always sticky
Back when summer meant,
Sam was running around
that was when the first hints of innocence were lost

When summer meant,
football camp
When summer meant,
short shorts on cheerleaders
When summer meant,
sneaking cold beers on hot nights
When summer meant,
first, second or third base
that was when we lost the rest

Back when summer meant,
wet t-shirt contests
Back when summer meant,
lost weekends
Back when summer meant,
"I never even asked her, her name"
Back when summer meant,
"I swear, I'm OK to drive"
That was when the corruption started

When summer meant,
bringing work clothes to work
so you didn't have to work wet
When summer meant,
the kids on the corner kept you up all night
When summer meant,
"I can't wait for winter"
That was when hopelessness set in

When summer became,
playing in puddles because "just because"
When summer became,
stopping morning rush hour traffic just
to let a family of ducks cross
When summer became,
"look at how much that tree grew"
"since last summer"
When summer bacame,
watching children play and flowers grow and birds fly
and water flow and stormy skies and butterflies
That was when innocent hope began

ŠAnthony F. Pepe 2002

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