It was never then, then

Once there was back when

In the history of “then”

’Fore the “be” began

In these days of yore

The people lived before, for

There was nothing more

’Twas a different time

When the latest lagged behind

“Is” had not arrived

None of then’s events

Happened in the present tense

That had not come yet

Language done ’em in

As their “be,” already been

Never to begin

Now was not to be

Then, verbs ended in “-ed”

All done, already

Trapped in simple past

People didn’t sit; they sat

Didn’t shit; they shat

But then’s now’s not when

Life was yesterday to them

It was today back then

We do what we does

Not in history because

Past ain’t what it was