Monday 5 March 2012

My Journey

Post war peace has descended, the war has now ended
Babies are booming, suckling contentment;
At the breast there is safety
And her mother sings lullabies.

And then along come the siblings and her childhood is passing
Hurriedly rushing, disappearing from view.
Her parents, like gypsies
New places, fresh faces,
New houses, new schools
From infants, to convent (what manners), to Grammar,
New neighbours, new brooms.
And Elvis is rocking.
Now working, not shirking
School sweetheart provides solitaire on her finger
Some changes she's making, the bedsit she's taking
And then to apartment, upgrading - own bathroom!
Home service now playing, she's reading and growing
Now knowing she's leaving,
Starts stopping that silly romantic dreaming.
And Ella is singing.
Leave the wedding dress hanging
It's time to be going
Her mind is escaping
Goodbye to her home town.
She's leaving her shorthand, and leaving her mummy
And leaving her daddy, and she's leaving her Jimmy -
Well he treated her badly.
And Chris Barber blows sweetly.
North Wales here she's coming
Dolgellau, you're kidding!
Haymaking and farming
For Brigadier Vaughan.
His Honourable Lady in shooting-brake driving,
Her flowers collecting
Her sadness she shows as four daughters she bore him.
And Joan Baez protesting.
It's time for some changes,
It's time to be going
Goodbye Lady Vaughan,
Your husband's too friendly
But she's not for telling.
And she's given a bible inscribed for the keeping.
And Dylan is saying that Times are a'changing.
 Aberystwyth awaiting
And she'll be a nanny
Little charge aged two is struggling with talking
Nanny's name she can't say so it's Meg she's becoming.
And now she is twenty
Living here at the seaside with swimming,
Beer tasting, University parties.
And The Animals sing of The Rising Sun.
Not sure if she likes it the beer or the lifestyle
Not sure what she's wanting
Not sure where she's going
But all those around her
Seem certain and knowing
And she's always moving and searching and changing.

There's too much for the telling
And I'm not for boring
Those listening, remembering lives of their own
With all of their changes, new houses and spouses
Careers and children, revolving, evolving.
And Diana Ross supremely is singing.

Then Manchester's calling, and marriage, nestbuilding
The wedding dress worn and gold ring she is wearing
And juggling career with babies and cooking
The Beatles are raving
Whilst she rocks the cradle.

But later there's parting and sadness and crying
Understanding and bitterness all intermingling
Continually changing, growing, evolving.
And Englebert Humperdinck sings on his own.
Now her hair is an Afro, denim skirt to the ground
She feels a new freedom to the 70's sound
The journey continues with tripping and falling
The running and jumping and stretching and climbing
Constantly changing, soul-searching, transforming
It took a long time to grow into her skin.
And Roberta Flack is Killing me Softly

Her babies are growing, to college they're going
And horses they're riding
Cyclic tempers colliding.
Three women together hysterically crying
And laughing and crying and laughing and crying.
And Queen's loudly playing.
Then when she stops looking
Peace comes and descends
Confustion and striving and turmoil seem ended
Life's journey now offers the freedom of laughter
Contentment comes falling
on shoulders not bowed.
And Glenn Gould is playing and it's Bach that he's playing.
Millennium comes peeping
Time wearing his trainers
Now racing, now speeding and
Catching her eye
This journey's exciting, there's rejoicing and mourning
Mutating, reforming
And softly she's humming
As Time Goes By.

by Meg Marsden

No comments:

Post a Comment