What Did You Use To Do

What Did You Use To Do
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Th boy’s just old enough to play
These little fellers games
Like “blind man’s buff” an-anyway,
I can’t recall the names
He’s just as glad as glad can be
At learnin’ somethin new,
An keeps forever askin’ me:
“What did you used to do?”

I’ve thought of “hidey whoop” an all
Them games we use to know:
Of “ant-ny over with a ball
But there’s no room to throw
The thing where my gran children live
Seems like his words go through
My brain like water through a sleve:
What did you use to do?”

It’s odd how one misrecollects,
Now “prisoner’s base” an” “tag”
Is things on which no one expecta
His memory to sag
But I most always get them mixed
With “three old cat-it’s true!
Then hear, just when my book is fixed:
“What did you use to do?”

Play marbles? Well, sir “roley hole”
Is all I know of now;
I’ve thought of “black man”-bless my soul!
I’ve lost ’em all, somehow
What’s “hare an’ houn’s an “tally ho,”
An “hen an chickens,” too?
Ten times an hour he wants to know:
“What did you use to do?”

Well, ain’t it strange how we’ve forgot
Th games we use to play?
Why, I was born of our back lot
An busy every day!
I wisht I was a boy again
With all that to go through
To learn the fun I’ve lost since then-
What did we use to do?
Chicago Tribune