THEN AND NOW

“Time it was and what a time it was” is the first line of the Simon and Garfunkel song, Bookends, from way back. This poem is another response from me to the subject of “change”. It was also written very close to St Valentine’s Day and could be considered a love poem for seniors!

TIME WAS

I look in the mirror

And what do I see

Where is the girl

That used to be me?

I see hair that’s grey

Where once it was brown

There are lines on my face

And my lips are turned down.

The waist that once was

Is no longer slim

It has thickened and coursened

Without days at the gym.

The friends that I had

Where have they gone?

They’ve all moved away

And left me alone.

The love of my youth

The passionate lover

We could pass on the street

And not know one another.

But the one that I married

We’re still together

Through good times and bad

Fair and foul weather.

We’ve had ups and downs

Since I was a bride

I’ve faced it all gladly

With him by my side.

So what if my hair

Is no longer brown?

Who cares if my mouth

Sometimes turns down?

The love in his eyes

Tells me everything’s fine

Some things never change

With the passing of time. 

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems

DAY 67. GROUNDHOG DAY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s hard coming up with new ideas every day  … so I hope you will forgive me if I post something you may have already seen.  As far as I’m aware, it only had one view at the time so I think it’s worth posting again.

I’m a great one for making lists.  If I can’t sleep at night, I get out of bed and make a list of everything that’s on my mind.

I’ve even been known to make notes on a bog roll – no wonder the supermarkets are running out of loo paper!

Right now my life is list-less.  My diary for 2020 is full of crossings out. Yours too. The only things on it are Zoom dates, live theatre streamings and food deliveries. Every day is like groundhog day.

Here’s a list I wrote BC – Before Covid – of things to do before it’s too late. It’s was written very much with tongue in  cheek.  However, I look at it now and think what I would give just to be able to have a swim in the Med – let alone water ski!

TO DO

Should I dye my hair red

and paint my toenails blue

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never abseiled

Or inter-railed

Or paddled a canoe

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never walked a tightrope

Or even stood on my head

I’ve never danced the tango

Or water skied on the Med

I’ve never had a piercing

Not even a tattoo

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

I’ve never bungeed from a plane

Or captained a yacht crew

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

And what about a menage a trois

A cougar I could be

Or better still an early night

watching a DVD

I think I will go back to bed

and have a cup of tea.

I’m taking a break from blogging this weekend. Will be back on Monday. Stay well.

 

 

 

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems

OUR FOURTH WEEK IN LOCKDOWN

9 APRIL 2020 DC (DURING COVID)

CELEBRATIONS, UNICORNS AND POETRY

Apologies for not having got round to posting today. I would like to be able to say it’s because I’ve been suffering from a hangover from birthday party celebrations. But, alas, no such luck!

I’ve been commissioned to do a painting.  My four year old granddaughter has asked for a painting of a unicorn with a rainbow – so you can see I’ve had far more important things to do today than to write this blog.

To compensate, here’s the poem I should have posted yesterday. Those of you who are familiar with my blog (180 followers and 8,330 views since the blog’s inception a few years ago – apologies to Helen for the brackets and the dash!) will have seen this poem before.

It’s called Another Birthday.  Hope you like it.

Another Birthday

Something happens

Between 69 and 70

You become a senior

and all of a sudden

you don’t recognise

that person in the mirror

and on the scales.

You shuffle in your slippers

read the papers

and pop pills.

The receptionist

at the doctor’s

knows your name.

Complete strangers

call you my darling

and my dear.

 

You want to be offered seats

on trains

And flat shoes seem

a better option

than high heels.

You are now

a silver surfer

so you search for

senior bargains online

There must be some perk

to reaching this age!

Hotels offer you

twin beds

and disabled bathrooms.

11 o’clock at night

seems very late to be out

and you find yourself

wanting to nap

in the middle of the day.

Your children ask how you are

but don’t really want to know

and people say you look well

when they mean

you are looking good for your age.

You have become invisible

to the opposite sex

and to anyone under forty.

People talk about “special” birthdays

and give you soppy smiles.

 

You wish you were

growing old disgracefully

but just don’t have the energy.

“Come upstairs and make love to me,” he said,

“I can do one or the other,” I replied

“Don’t expect me to do both”!

I’ve started listening to the Archers

and the weather forecasts

Doing crosswords

and reading the obituaries

Seeing the names of

people I once knew

Thank goodness Mick Jagger

can still strut his stuff

and Macca too

still performing

whilst others the same age

languish in care homes

uncared for and forgotten.

It’s odd to think

that in ten years or so

I will look back at this time

And think myself young.

 

 

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems

 

 

Things to do before it’s too late

Friday 3 April 2020 (AC) AFTER COVID

I’m a great one for making lists.  If I can’t sleep at night, I get out of bed and make a list of everything that’s on my mind.

I have even been known to make notes on a bog roll – no wonder the supermarkets are running out of loo paper!

Anyway, here’s a list that I wrote BC – Before Covid – of things to do before it’s too late.

Not to be taken too seriously!

TO DO

Should I dye my hair red

and paint my toenails blue

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never abseiled

Or inter-railed

Or paddled a canoe

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never walked a tightrope

Or even stood on my head

I’ve never danced the tango

Or water skied on the Med

I’ve never had a piercing

Not even a tattoo

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

I’ve never bungeed from a plane

Or captained a yacht crew

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

And what about a menage a trois

A cougar I could be

Or better still an early night

watching a DVD

I think I will go back to bed

and have a cup of tea.

I’m taking a break from blogging this weekend. Will be back on Monday. Stay well.

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems

ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER BIRTHDAY

Think my posting this poem is going to become an annual event!

I can remember in my teens longing to be 21. And now I wish that time could go backwards and I could be 21 again!

 

Another Birthday

 

Something happens

Between 69 and 70

You become a senior

and all of a sudden

you don’t recognise

that person in the mirror

and on the scales.

You shuffle in your slippers

read the papers

and pop pills.

The receptionist

at the doctor’s

knows your name.

Complete strangers

call you my darling

and my dear.

You want to be offered

seats on trains

And flat shoes seem

a better option

than high heels.

You are now

a silver surfer

so you search for

senior bargains online

There must be some perk

to reaching this age.

Hotels offer you

twin beds

and disabled bathrooms.

11 o’clock at night

seems very late to be out

and you find yourself

wanting to nap

in the middle of the day.

Your children ask how you are

but don’t really want to know

and people say you look well

when they mean

you are looking good for your age.

You have become invisible

to the opposite sex

and to anyone

under forty.

People talk about “special” birthdays

and give you soppy smiles.

You wish you were

growing old disgracefully

but just don’t have the energy.

Come upstairs and make love to me

he said

I can do one or the other

I replied

Don’t expect me to do both.

I’ve started listening to the Archers

and the weather forecasts

Doing crosswords

and reading the obituaries

Seeing the names of

people I once knew

Thank goodness Mick Jagger

can still strut his stuff

and Macca too

still performing

whilst others the same age

languish in care homes

uncared for and forgotten.

It’s odd to think

that in ten years or so

I will look back at this time

And think myself young.

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems

 

Things to do before it’s too late

TO DO

Should I dye my hair red

and paint my toenails blue

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never abseiled

Or inter-railed

Or paddled a canoe

I need to make a to do list

There’s still such a lot to do

I’ve never walked a tightrope

Or even stood on my head

I’ve never danced the tango

Or water skied on the Med

I’ve never had a piercing

Not even a tattoo

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

I’ve never bungeed from a plane

Or captained a yacht crew

I need to make a to do list

There’s such a lot to do

And what about a menage a trois

A cougar I could be

Or better still an early night

watching a DVD

I think I will go back to bed

and have a cup of tea.

© Andrea Neidle, My Life in Poems