I remember when I was a kid,
We lived for play that’s how we did.
Traded cards with sweaty hands,
Shot marbles through the summer sand.

We slept beneath the salted skies,
Woke with waves and stinging eyes.
Boards in hand, we'd chase the tide,
Young and fearless, full of pride.

We’d race through fields, forget the time,
With shouts and jokes that made us rhyme.
The world was wide, the world was real,
We felt the wind, life was ideal.

Now our kids just stare at screens,
Plugged into artificial dreams.
No running feet, no games, no calls,
Just endless swipes on glowing walls.
I miss the fields where we would run
The breathless laughs, the setting sun.

We earned our wins with bruised old shoes,
With shouted bets and backyard rules.
No trophies came with clicks or pings,
Just shouted joy and broken swings.
We learned to lose, we learned to try,
With muddy shirts and heads held high.

But now our kids just scroll all day,
Locked inside and miles away.
They never felt the gravel burn,
Or begged for just one extra turn.
I miss the fields where we would run
The breathless laughs, the setting sun.

I watch them now behind the glass,
Their childhood fading far too fast.
I call their name they look away,
Another game, another day.

Maybe it’s not screens or change or time
Maybe it’s me, just chasing mine.
A boy who ran till stars came out,
Still missing what it’s all about.
I guess I’m older, that’s the truth
Just longing for my own lost youth.

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