THE NEW OLD AGE

Pat's poem. Yes, it doesn't scan all the time, but it was fun to listen to, which is what poetry is meant for...

Mary Lou was eighty-two,
with eyes of a tired and fading blue.
She was short and plump with a visible hump –
but her house was clean and neat
and her chocolate cake was a joy to eat!

Getting old was difficult for Mary Lou,
so many things still to do,
countries to visit, hills to climb,
but – was she running out of time?

She had such a strong urge to visit Kathmandu
Tho’ she knew it was a foolish thing to do at 82!
But – blow the credit crunch,
she’d have a meagre lunch,
visit her bank, draw out her savings
all to satisfy these cravings.

So she got out her bike, a three-wheeler, you know,
and set off to the bank in a sharp shower of snow!
The manager said it was rather a rash thing to do
- to take out all her cash at eighty-two.

Mary Lou was blessed with a determined mind,
she thanked him for his advice, he meant to be kind.
Then she rushed off to book her flight to Kathmandu
with a travel company called Just for you.

Then Mary Lou joined the Gym
to limber up and try to slim.
But early one day she tripped over a mat
and – oops – fell flat on her back.

She’d flattened her hump but then felt a lump on her hip.
The doctor said, ‘You must say toodle-oo to Kathmandu –
try Benidorm instead, you’ve broken your hip, cancel your trip!

But Mary Lou phoned Just for you
and only postponed Kathmandhu.
‘With a new hip,’ she said, ‘who knows what I’ll be able to do.
See you later, Kathmandhu –
Benidorm can wait till I’m ninety-two!’

Pat Gruet (2009)