A salute...

When you reach the state to remember

all those the precious good old days

the times when decisions were made 

by "eenee-meenee-minee-moe." 

when all the mistakes were corrected 

by shouting, "...do it again! Eh you..." 

you may

standing on your  head glancing down

stars twinkle at  you, they never frown...

...We  salute him who can recite 

poetry standing on his head...

When watching leaves drifting down stream 

boats of your fine fleet takes up hours,

just remember chasing butterflies 

once could easily take up the whole

of a long sun drenched afternoon.

Being outdoors at an open fire

warm flames escaping into the dark   

 shooting stars falling, we long forgot 

what wishes we made during those hours.

When you remember that being old 

was someone turning 21

and the younger kids were smaller than 

your height, back then kicking the ball

was all that mattered and rules 

were made as you played whatever game.

Hide and seek had no rules or did it?

Standing on your head looking down

the sun she smiles and never frowns...

...We salute him who can recite 

poetry standing on his head...

Remember the times when the worst 

you could get from the opposite sex 

were a cold and a warning from the parents. 

Being caught with a slingshot in school 

was considered carrying a weapon. 

Board-games played on the floor were 

much fun and money was steadily 

available from the Monopoly 

banker to start ov'r in the next game.

Remember Mom's miracle cures 

scrapes and bruises were kissed good bye. 

Remember the big deal it was 

riding a real grown up bicycle, 

so was waking up to first snow.

The hours spent building a snowman

all important went by so fast.

Standing on you head looking down

stars twinkle back yet they never frown...

...We salute him who can recite 

poetry standing on his head...

Abilities were discovered 

by taking chances with trees who grew 

for one purpose so we could climb em.

Remember cherry and Christmas  trees 

were expected to be gift-bearing

pines and cedars were considered

the other the never mind sticky kind.

Spinning around, getting dizzy 

and falling down was cause for laughter. 

The worst embarrassment was being 

not picked as player in a team. 

War was a card game. Water balloons 

were the ultimate weaponry.

Baseball cards in the spokes created

 a motorcycle sound for your bike. 

Taking drugs meant an aspirin. 

Standing on your head looking down

the sun she smiles and never frowns...

...We salute him who can recite 

poetry standing on his head...

Ice cream was a basic food group. 

Older kids were the worst of any kind 

but also the best protectors.

Remember them those the good 

the olden times. Where have we been  

the days, nights, weeks, months and years?

What luck and happiness have we

stockpiled since childhood dreams?

And was it worth the sweat and pain? 

I thought  I try to stand, oh yes,

on my head just like you 

to no avail but only to 

holter polter rolling falling 

flat on what is known as my ass.

And with this may it be known

to all people on the Internet

that Vito Victor has retired

from teaching C++ and C 

this very semester at MPC.

...We salute him who can recite 

poetry standing on his head...

May 2000 helmut s.