Editor’s Note
Noreen Syme grew up in Almonte and currently lives in Carleton Place. Now in her nineties, she recalls her happy childhood in Almonte in her poetry. In this poem, she reminisces about the magic of radio.
On our radios away back then,
With no pictures we could just pretend,
That on Demille’s Theatre by Lux,
Flynn and Gable spoke love words to us.
Inner Sanctum with that squeaky door,
With “the Shadow Knows” – no kids were bored.
“What Evil Lurks in the Heart of Men”
God – how innocent we were back then.
And each weekend brought us laugh galore,
With Bergen-Charlie and Mortimer,
Don Wilson’s J-E-L-L-O
Announced the great Jack Benny Show.
And McGee’s Closet every week,
Fibber opened despite Molly’s shrieks,
Their phone operator’s name was Mert,
“How’s every little thing?” brought all town dirt.
Down Allen’s Alley was a must,
As Mrs. Neusbaumb strolled with us,
And Amos and Andy always fell
For Kingfish’s tricks he pulled so well.
And “Big Town” starring Edward G,
Brought crime stories we could never see,
The Green Hornet, Superman, and Roy
Were heroes to each little boy.
Great baseball then on radio,
Fans could almost see Dimaggio.
The Yankee Clipper of home runs,
and Jackie Robinson of “Da Brooklyn Bums.”
Hockey Night in Canada folklore
Foster Hewitt’s voice – “He shoots, he scores”,
And that night in Peewee Player’s dreams,
They outskated Rocket on his team
Now life revolves around TV
And imaginations cease to be,
And our Baby Boomers never know
The fantasies of radio.
And then our peaceful life no more,
As our world went marching off to war.
Radio played songs of broken hearts,
As our families were torn apart.
Some wartime songs will never fade,
Like Glenn Miillar’s “Moonlight Serenade”.
Bing’s song “White Christmas” brought us tears,
Still part of Christmas every year.
And Patti, Lavergne and sweet Maxine,
Sang in movies and stage door canteens,
That “bugle Boy of Company B”,
And “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree”.
And Vera Lynn in her British way,
Sang “I’ll Be Seeing You Someday”,
And “When the Lights Come on Again”,
For our world blacked out for bombs back then.
” Auf Wiederseh’n”- a German song,
Was so lovely Allies sang along,
And back home teenagers screamed and swooned,
As a skinny Frank Sinatra crooned.
Then Johnny came marching home again,
And we prayed our broken world would mend,
Sounds of peace descendedon our land
Thanks to seniors – then our servicemen.
I count these memories one by one,
And I tell my daughter and my sons,
I wouldn’t change a word you see,
For there was a world without TV.
