A Vestige of My Youth

A Vestige of My Youth

 

 

It was winter

the year my unemployment checks

were running out.

I was barely getting by paying rent

existing on cold pizza and ramen noodles,

with a diamond deck of solitaire

to kill the monotony of time.

 

It was the eighties,

the era of hair metal bands and MTV.

I worked in a record store

when LP’s were just beginning to phase out. 

A place that my friends referred to as

“the dream job.”

 

 I was single then

dating men with the frequency

of Monday night football,

writing free verse crossed legged on a hardwood floor

with a smith corona, a halogen lamp

and Jessie.

 

Fast forward twenty years

and here I am

wishing I could go back

to the rush of those nine to five days,

flipping through numerous categories of LP’s

in chronological  order,

cramming the copious names of artists

and classifications of music

into the cerebral of my brain.

 

A vestige of my youth

so well spent. 

 

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

Memorable times, fun-filled Era. This was a wonderful experience and cherished. An autobiographical poem that shed the light on the poet's likes and dislikes, music, job, men.
Wow!

[Kelly Scheppers]

Thank you most kindly, Sami!

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome 😊.

[Lorry]

Well Kelly, even the hipsters have brought vinyl back, is there any need to go back to your youth, other than being young, not making noises when picking things of the floor and self off sofa? Well apart from those things, you can add the cost of vinyl albums these days (in a cost of living crisis too. I remember the eighties well and if anyone tried to charge me almost thirty pounds for an album, I'd have thought they thought I wanted to buy the band instead!)
Still, it's another reason to punch those hipster tears, with their beards of infinite complexity and who knew there'd be other reasons needed to do that, when the parade about looking like eighteenth century cricketers! They love their old shot, don't they! But what's the deal with the capes? They're new and you should punch them for that too! Seriously!
Now, what was I talking about before hipsters annoyed me by entering my mind and making me remember they are real?
Oh yeah, the eighties. What the he'll was wrong with Dunking donuts? They were perfectly decent donuts, but then krispy kreme came along and decided we all needed more sugar and made donuts sickening. I tell ya, it was probably a hipster behind them, so another reason to slap them some more!
Nobody ever looks at CD artwork, do they? Or cataloguing their favourite 500 downloaded albums? We definitely lost something in the 80's, didn't we?
I used to love listening to albums all the way through, even the crap tracks you can skip now. Buying a new album used to be an event, now it's click, listen, the end.
I want the 80's back!
And I'd quite like my youth back too please!
And to maybe upload all hipsters back to then too, when it was still okay to laugh in people's faces without being called a hater!
I really miss the eighties!

[Kelly Scheppers]

Personally, I think the eighties were the best decade for music. But I love Sinatra, too. Album art was a class all it's own, wasn't it? What a thrill it was taking off the shrink wrap, absorbing it from the inside out. Thanks so much, Lorry!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I, too, wish I could go back to the 80's. I loved the days of going to mall to visit the record store. While hard at times, they were the best of times.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Indeed, it was the best of times! Thank you so much Linda. Hope you're having a wonderful summer!

[An owl on the moon]

So grateful that you can voice your thoughts like a song... and help us all be found dancing in those days... lingering in the sweet memories that only mean a little more in each passing day. Sitting here... next to my record player... so glad those days aren't ancient history. Wondrous thoughts! 🎵🎶🎼

[Kelly Scheppers]

Although stereo components and vinyl have made a comeback, I believe record stores have become a thing of the past. It's truly a world all it's own, and I'm so proud to have been a part of it! Thank you, Craig!

[Neville]

.. Take me back why don'tcha .. Jeez .. how I wish I woz your Jessie .. but at least I am now the first N :)

[Kelly Scheppers]

Perhaps I should have mentioned, Jessie was my cat, who lived for nineteen years. I thought that deserved an honorable mention in my poem. Thanks for being my first, Nev! Let's keep it our secret, ok! ; )

[Neville]

good old Jessie .. a remarcatable achievement .. and believe me, the pleasure was all mine .. but okay .. that's probably for the best :)