I see them downtown sometimes
With lights that flash
And music that tinkles
And grins that grin! grin! grin!
Until my head starts to spin
And I don't even want to buy ice cream anymore.

I'm not fooled,
But I appreciate the effort.
We didn't have our ice cream in trucks
When I was growing up.
Mine came in the hand of a teenager
Struggling to get his cart
Up the hill to my house,
Bells dangling off the handlebars,
Sending me begging for a dollar
On the summer days that blended together.
Most days were spent in swimsuits,
We never thought about our clothes then.

Now, your arrogance, your music,
Your smiles that beam! beam! beam!
Never make me think of those days.
But sometimes, when the traffic takes over the street
And the heat pushes down on all the people,
A delivery truck rounds a corner
With a logo we all recognize
And though it doesn't make noise, or flash, or glow in the dark
It brings a smile to every face around
As though we all remember the same secret
And want to share.

(Feb 6, 2001)