I grew up in other eras
That had ended centuries past,
In the days of jealous Heras
And castles that were stoned, not glassed.

All the honor I’ve ever had
Came from King Arthur and his knights.
Without my books, the world was bad—
It’s advertised by neon lights.

Contemporary music aged
For a decade before I heard it;
And most of the new books I read
Weren’t so eloquently worded.

I grew up chasing Robin Hood
That I could be a Merry Man.
I knew why Ivanhoe would brood.
Oh, how I loved Maid Marian!

And life’s unbathed simplicity
Known and loved from such older times
Has made me useless completely,
In this world full of many crimes.