Friday, August 22, 2008

Adventure on the Highway



ADVENTURE ON THE HIGHWAY!
Hitch-hiking! Do any of you remember?
Do you, too, recall a time
When we launched ourselves out on the highway,
With never a thought of crime?
When nobody raised an eyebrow
As we headed out the door!
Not even Mum expressed concern;
She didn't say 'Are you sure?'
We stood beside the highway
Giving cars a smiling glance
Not ever realising
We were taking quite a chance!
Of course, foul murders happened,
But no-one would murder us.
So no-one thought to question
And no-one thought to fuss.
And so it was lightheartedly
Each raised a hopeful thumb.
We were filled with girlish excitement
Wondering what would come.
And something always came along,
A limousine or truck,
Maybe a good-looking driver,
With a little bit of luck.
Most often married couples
Out for a casual ride,
Would slow down and invite us in,
And we'd merrily jump inside.
It was almost motorised roulette,
An exciting game of chance.
In such a fashion, blithely,
We 'hitched' to the South of France,
The Isle of Wight and Scotland
And places far and wide.
And now it is forbidden;
That freedom is denied.
The world has made such progress
It's leaving us behind,
But, somehow, it's less carefree
Less guileless and less kind.
And I'm glad I lived in my day
When a girl could thumb a ride
In freedom and security
All over the countryside.
The nineteen-fifties were boring,
That's what they like to say,
But we were having a great time!
I'm glad I'm not young today.

9 comments:

Bear Naked said...

I never hitch-hiked in the sixties.
I knew my parents would have killed me if I had.
I was a bit of a chicken but remember seeing all these wonderful hippie girls with their long hair and skirts gladly hitching along the highways.
To tell the truth I was always a little envious of them and their lifestyle.

Bear((( )))

Anonymous said...

Well, it wasn't all quite without a hitch folks! I was one of the three of us that did what we could not do today. We had our moments of trepidation. I will not forget some scary rides and the times when there were no rides - three's a crowd! Stick together was our care free motto. One high light was the time we missed the boat to leave the Isle de Ste. Marguerite, in the south of France, and slept in a dungeon, on a cold stone floor of the old castle, BUT with a splendid view of the Riviera through the iron bars! Was this the place where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned, we wondered? Anon

Kat said...

"....The world has made such progress
It's leaving us behind,.."

True Brenda... today the risk is not to the person who hitch hikes, but to the one who gives..!! She or he may not reach the destination.

mmm looks you've had jolly times (without Mom knowing ? :)))

Mary said...

I can really 'hear' the delight in this wonderfully nostalgic poem. Sounds like you had some wonderful journeys. The only times I hitchhiked were...home from the beer bars of college years on the outskirts of town, and then it was only groups of us with college guys lucky enough to have a car! Even then it felt brave.

Tilly Bud said...

'I'm glad I'm not young today' - says it all, really. The youth have more theoretical freedom but I wonder if it does them any good.

Diane T said...

I hitch-hiked quite a bit in the mid to late sixties... of course I never told my mum, LOL. An astonishing poem, Brenda! Never thought of this!

Tumblewords: said...

How true - many of the changes we've seen haven't been wonderful. Freedom is a state of mind, I guess. Terrific poem.

Harvee said...

I enjoyed your wonderful, nostalgic rhyming poem! Excellent!
Book Bird Dog

Cynthia Short said...

Yes, life was much safer and gentler back then, before all the RULES. (I really enjoyed your rhyming, love to read rhyming poetry and find it VERY hard to write!)