Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters

Butterscotch & Now-and-Laters
by J. Grant

Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters for 25 cents at the corner candy store
Six years old without a care in the world
Planning our strategy in freeze-tag
Because we were too cool for dodge-ball
And too fly for hide-and-seek
Our claim to fame was being masters of the open fire hydrant
Champions of “Connect Four”
This was our little world…
Our little universe…
Of handball and “suicide”
While the big kids played “craps” and blackjack
We survived on “Uno” and “I declare war”
Three o’clock meant more than the end of the school day
It signified the afternoon main event
“Which heavyweight bully would challenge the unsuspecting lightweight nerd in the battle for elementary school supremacy?!!!”
Butterscotch and Now-and-Laters were our candy of choice
Jolly ranchers and jawbreakers not too far behind
As we sat, reciting the words to “Beat it” and “Billie Jean”
Moonwalking on concrete
Spinning on the pavement
Watching the big kids play football in between traffic and parked cars
While we took turns trying to outrun every car that sped down the block
Waiting for the unforgettable tune of the Mister Softee Ice Cream truck to pass through
Begging our less than pleased parents for one dollar to buy an ice cream cone
I never liked sprinkles, but most kids did…
Not too far behind Mister Softee was the Italian Ices man
Just in case you couldn’t get the dollar from your mom fast enough to catch Mister Softee, the Italian Ices man was there to fulfill your craving
This was our world…
Watching it all from the front of our six floor apartment building…
Or the better view from our third floor fire escape…
Six years old without a care in the world…
This was our universe…
We didn’t have pool parties at the neighbors
We had block parties and “party at Janet’s crib”
While the latest hot records blasted from Tony’s boombox…
Or from every other car that rolled through the avenue…
And all we could do is smile and laugh
Because… we had it all