40 Years On - 27th Feb 1983

You've travelled down life's road together
For forty years and all kinds of weather
Good times, bad times, sad times, glad times
And sometimes, just times, but still together

No partnership is perfect or so the sages say
But you've battled through and here you are today
Surrounded by your family - all close to you at heart
Remembering together, the day you made your start

And hopeful for your future, in the autumn of your years
That it will contain much laughter and very rarely tears
That happiness will fill your lives and may contentment be your friend
In the knowing that the 'partnership' has worked, right to the very end

The poem above was inspired by my Mum's poem to my Dad which is as follows:

It was a lovely sunny day, that day we made our vows
Do you recall those bright blue skies? I can even now
No church bell rang for us (that's one thing I regret)
They rang only for "Invasion" - that War we can't forget
Our firstborn came the following year to warm our youthful hearts
But within the year you left us, to go to foreign parts

Soon the War was over, we were together once again
Searching for a little home, but we did not complain
For we were young and full of hope, the future looked quite bright
Then another babe was born - a boy - that made it right
Now a family of four and we had found a little home
It made an anchor in our lives, we did not want to roam

So here we are, in ripe old age, still partners that's for sure
We've watched our children have their babes, we could not ask for more
Each one has brought us pleasure and in return we give our love
And for those joys we have received, I thank the Lord above
Forty years of memories, we can still recall my dear
Forty years of partnership - it seems like yesteryear
There's a passage in The Bible, which makes a perfect end
"This is my Beloved and this is my Friend".


Mum and Dad Ruby Wedding 1983. Mum died 1993 - Dad died 2003