Community Corner

Reader Poem: A Wyckoff Kid

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The following poem was submitted to Patch by its author, Marianne Malizia Baggot. The author originally wrote the poem for a Facebook group about the township, but said she'd like to share it with the Patch community.

I grew up “a Wyckoff kid,” as all of you on this page did

We’d spend the whole day riding bikes, climbing trees or taking hikes

- while on a major sugar rush from ice pops and an Orange Crush.

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Basketball and tennis courts, giant oaks for building forts

Hills and pastures where we’d play and bring our sleds on a winter’s day

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Farms with apple trees and pumpkins made us feel like country bumpkins

Streams for fishing, swimming wading - frozen ponds for great ice skating

Of our hometown we are quite fond so we all share a special bond

And each of us are well aware that we were blessed to grow up there

 

We’d often make the downtown scene for a “Blizzard” at the Dairy Queen

It was always fun to kill some time with a comic book from the five and dime

Run around in all the shops and aggravate the mom and pops

Inhale a helium balloon so your voice would sound like a cartoon

And right before you’d head for home, you’d check for coins at a public phone.

 

Pyrotechnics were the craze and the highlight of our summer days

Sneak out with a book of matches and hope like hell they didn’t catch us

Firecrackers popped and glimmered; flares and sparklers snapped & shimmered

An empty lot was where we’d meet....a cull-de-sac or dead end street

With cherry bombs deep in your pockets, set ablaze some bottle rockets!

The nearby neighbors were appalled.  Eventually the cops were called.

 

Another favorite meeting spot was the carnival in the parking lot

Amusements for your satisfaction: rides arcades and lots of action

The freak show and the horror tent would always make for time well spent

Though not a large elaborate fair, you’d meet up with your best friends there

Spend your money where it counts; on the Himalaya and Bubble Bounce

Ride, rock out and hold on tight to “Jeremiah“ by Three Dog Night

 

But my fondest memories of all were those that happened every Fall

I do admit, I feel contrite from the pranks I pulled on “goosey night”

Where every escapade or caper involved some soap or toilet paper

On Halloween we’d trick-or-treat to every house on every street

A pillow case would come in handy to tote around 3 pounds of candy

 

You never had to look too hard to find a game in someone’s yard

You never scheduled time to play.  A “play date” happened every day

We all have vivid memories from many fun-filled seasons

We all feel warm and fuzzy for completely different reasons

We all are varied ages and may live in different places

I cant pronounce some of your names or recognize your faces

But all of you, my [friends], knew the pleasures that I did

You grew up proud, you grew up right cause you were a Wyckoff kid! 


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