dresses with crinoline under
the sweet smell of verbena on girls
boys with hair palmated, combs working
moon light on the verandah
sound of the swings going to and fro
trying to steal a small kiss in the shadows
these were the times when people still said hello
asking how do you feel and waited to hear
the answer
children could still go out after dark to skate
mothers would lean out windows to talk to friends
I often wonder if it were all a better life then

we still ask how do you feel when greeting
but seldom stop to hear the answer
romance is seen on television, but it is not love making
mothers still call to children playing,
now it's come in for it is getting dark
friends now live all over the world, but have no faces
in this wondrous computer age
I often wonder if it was a better life then

family's move far over land and sea
but now in cyber space we all can remain close
talking of our families and friends on monitor screens
E-mail and cams makes it possible to see and speak
new love can be found far from home
and old loves embraced again
we still take the time to say hello, even more so to strangers
getting to know a persons soul before we see a face
I often wonder if it really was a better life then