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A Mother’s Day poem for those who have lost their mums

Over60 community member Jenny Bush shares this poignant poem on Mother’s Day. “I have been thinking about all the mothers out there for whom Mothers’ Day is a source of disappointment and quite often a day filled with a sense of loss and hurt. I have written this poem for those of us who miss what the special day used to mean in our lives.” – Jenny Bush A Mothers’ Day Lament Reflecting on Mother’s Days of yesteryear My heart laments with a silent tear Of the significance of what that day used to be And the profound impact it had on me. Cherishing time spent with my Nan and my Mum Never dreaming that the day would eventually come When neither were here to share the day To feast with us and watch kids at play. Our whole family would gather and have so much fun Quite often on picnics – enjoying the sun. With aunts and uncles and cousins too But life was simple back then, it’s true. Life now moves on at such a fast pace And every day it seems like we are running a race. People are so busy doing this and that There is so little time to sit, and simply chat. For many reasons families can be torn apart Quite often resulting in a broken heart. There is commercial pressure to buy Mum something new Causing some to resort to writing an I.O.U Many mums now spend the day alone For some it’s a quick chat with family by phone. And some celebrate with friends who are on their own too While accepting that life’s ways are now all new. I will miss my mum and my nan this Mothers’ Day But I am so grateful for memories of the special way We used to celebrate their love and care for us Which was usually given with a minimum of fuss. I am sad for the customs we seem to have lost With the emphasis now placed on the financial cost. Progress is great in so many ways But oh how I sometimes miss “the good old days”. Illustration: Midjourney

Family & Pets

A heartwarming poem about life during COVID-19

Ode to Hope Lockdown, stay home, self isolate The World is in a perilous state The first time in history we all empathise As we view this pandemic through fearful eyes So many deaths from an invisible bug No loved ones there, no-one to hug We’re all in mourning at such tearful sights Now we’re recruited to ‘fight the good fight’ In our family cocoon we must safely sit Perhaps venture outside to shop or keep fit How lucky are we, in these close bonds secure Our loved ones, in future, we’ll appreciate more Let’s spare a kind thought for those very poor Unable to hide behind tightly locked doors Come rain or come shine, out there sleeping rough Disenfranchised lives, they’re doing it real tough! Jobs have been lost, how will they exist? Just essential items, can be on the list Our lives forced to be, over simplified To the fast changing rules, we must abide Ours lives of excess consumerism Trapped in over-consumption prison How can we escape this merry-go-round? We all sell our souls when such greed abounds Nails, eyebrows, long lashes, and botox lips Piercings, tattoos, extensions, blonde tips Wardrobes overflowing with so much stuff Clothing and shoes, there’s never enough Our houses are stylishly decorated Too large with so few accommodated Every gadget, white-good, electronic device Mesmerised by our screens, is this a life? Shock jocks spouting their vitriol To divide and conquer is their main goal So many believe everything that they read From a diet of facebook and twitter feed These days no belief in our politicians So cynical, another term, is their ambition Fake news and partisan PR spin At all costs the party is just there to win At times like this can we work together To make it last, to improve life forever? Will it change the way that we must think Or will all be forgotten, in just one blink? We now have the chance to contemplate To reset our lives, is it too late? Live a simpler life, it has so much worth, Revive us and save our struggling Mother Earth. By Kathy Lang

Travel Trouble

Does a smartphone make us smart?

Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. Does a smartphone make us smart? Once upon a childhood, we recall that we lived in a different world. On Saturday afternoons, our parents would drive us to a far-flung suburb, where our maternal grandparents lived. The adults loved us dearly, but believed that children should be seen and not heard. We would arrive punctually at 2pm. After a brief pit stop, our Nanna would say, “Go for a walk!” Our mother would add, “Come back at four o’clock.” So that is exactly what we did. In an unfamiliar suburb, with no street directory, or no GPS, or no watches to tell the time, not even a modern plastic bottle of water for refreshment, three young Australians would “Go for a walk!” Thus, we walked, past front yard gardens, along strange streets. We would walk for approximately one hour, then we turned around and walked back to our grandparents’ home. My elder sister must have had a good sense of geography. Upon reflection, I do wonder what the current parent police would say now, to such child-raising habits. As every reader is aware, these days, there are smart phones employed to supervise children’s adventures in society. Such smart phones had not been imagined once, let alone invented. Our oldies collectively had no idea where we were walking to, or even if we would return let alone at the correct time. Somehow, we just knew it was nearly four o’clock in the afternoon. Maybe we all lived in a safer world, where we were mostly a lot more naïve than folk and children are today. Times change. These days, in the digital world of the 21st century, if children go for a walk, the parent police phone their offspring up every five minutes on their smart phones. As passers-by, we can hear some very strange conversations, in shopping centres or railway stations. Here is one I heard, not long ago. The parent police must have asked, “Where are you now?” Teenager on phone: “I am at the shops, Mum.” Mum must have inquired, “Where are you going?” Teenager’s response: “I am going to the loo!” Mum’s next question, “What are you doing now?” Teenager, sounding slightly exasperated, “I’m in the loo, having a wee! Mum!”” Well, really. I wondered if it was really necessary to share with society, including Now there is someone calling on my smart phone! Whoops missed call. I must cease everything and return the call. It seems everyone I see is either gazing at a smart phone, or chatting on one. Are we so scared to be alone? Are we all like the teenager in the shopping centre loo, with her mother calling her incessantly on her smart phone, the modern parent police? Would parents in these modern days even say, “Go for a walk!”, to send their children off for two hours, with no time pieces, or smart phones to monitor them? These days the parents must check for the location of their children, and for potential predators. So, the world is no longer as safe as it once appeared to be. There was the famous case of the Beaumont children. “Go for a walk, go for a swim!” Those three children have, unfortunately, never been seen again. Amazingly, the three young girls we once were never disappeared, got lost, and always arrived back by four o’clock, unmolested. These days, our mother would have phoned us every five minutes on our smart phones, so we were not feeling apart. The smart phone is a great invention, but if everyone has to relate every action on a smart phone, has the smart phone really made us smart? Food for thought. “See ya!” (The great Australian smart phone farewell.). Yeah, “See ya!”

Retirement Life

The hilarious A-Z guide on the perils of ageing

Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. Retirement Alphabet Soup! Here is an ode to say, Retirement Soup for us today! A is for aging with attitude, We are feisty old chicks and dudes! B is for bronchitis, cough and blow, And for bursitis, where did vigour go? C is for COPD we were stoking, With all our youthful smoking. D is for diarrhoea, No doctor wants to know ya! E is for euthanasia, Some geriatrics’ fantasia. F is for the flatulence part, Yes, we are grand old farts! G is for the geriatricity stuff, We got old, suck that up! H is for halitosis for us, Listerine is good, no need to fuss. I is for Imodium’s task, All you do is the chemist ask. J is for jellybeans, eh? Been to the pharmacist, let’s say, Brought the lolly trolley today! K is for our kids who also grow old, Us they tell what to do, be told! L is for laxatives for that constipation, The flip side of grey consternation. M is for MRI scans and tests, All clear, we hope, that’s best. N is for negative Normans around, Wish grey positivity would abound. O is for obesity sighs, Cellulite for all our thighs! P is for pappa’s don’t preach, Lard butts so out of reach. Q is for hope we don’t go queer, No dementia here yet, dears. R is for Retirement years, We race on, switching gears. S is for that sexuality bit, Hope you made memories of blips! T is for testicles, you can’t see ‘em, Do oldies belong in museums? U is for ultrasounds, Our medical tests do abound. V is for Ventolin inhalers for us, Breathing disorders cause a fuss. W is for the water works, Fluid tablets are the worst! X is for more X-rays today, Got a photo of my bad back, yah! Y is for that yellow jaundice for oldies, Bilirubin levels make us feel mouldy. Z is for this human zoo, No rocking chairs for me and you! That’s your alphabet soup today, Welcome to our new old age!

Retirement Life

Hilarious poem about the perils of men in retirement

Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. Perils of Men in Retirement Here’s an ode for ladies of a certain age, Your men are going to retire one day, Very old joke—is this your hunch? You married him for better or worse, not lunch! His first day at home, what’s he going to do? He wants to come to the supermarket with you! Now this is a man on a mission, Buys half the shop with no permission, Well, that was an expensive shop, Now he wants you to cook this lot, A retired husband is a full time job! What’s this? He’s gardening with his chainsaw, Well, those were your plants… but wait, there’s more, He’s bought an electric guitar, You wish his greyboy band would go far Away, that is! Oh no, not this, He wants to go camping with his grey old miss, NO! NO! God gave you a home, not a tent, Yes, girls, camping is a defence, Well, aren’t we both having fun? Wife wishes she’d bought a gun, Never mind, it’s only retirement together, day one!

Retirement Life

Woman dodges parking fine after writing hilarious poem to council

A UK woman has managed to escape a parking fine thanks to her witty poetry skills. Jayne Parsons, 53, from Salisbury in England, was recently issued a fine after parking her car on yellow lines near her home, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-45307817">BBC</a>. She knew she had a good excuse so instead of copping the fine, she decided to plead with her local council using verse. In a rhyming letter sent to Wiltshire Council, Ms Parsons explained that she was loading her vehicle with cakes and sweets to sell at a fundraiser for her local riding club when she was struck with a “nervous tum” and needed to dash to the loo – urgently. But we’ll let her explain the situation. Ms Parsons wrote in her letter: “Dear Sir, or to whom it may concern, A parking fine I did earn. I was parked outside my house on yellow lines, Intending to move and dodge your fines. But on Sunday I was loading my car With food and cakes for a horseshow; not far Before these events, I get a nervous tum, For the toilet I had to run. And with not a moment to lose, I made it indoors to release my poos! I couldn’t move until all was done, But when I returned the fine was done. I thought it better was be discreet And leave the car parked in the street. Next time I’ll move and not be a pain, But if I get caught short, I’ll s*** in the drain.” But the most stunning part of the story is not that the council let her off, but that they responded in the form of poetry, too. “The penalty charge notice was correctly issued as the vehicle was parked in a restricted street during prescribed hours. In this instance the restriction is clearly indicated by the double yellow lines which are in effect at all times,” the council wrote. “However, in considering people’s circumstances, The council is often led song and dances, It’s difficult to know the truth, And quite often we would ask for proof, But the photographs the officer has taken, Shows that indeed, you had been baking, These cakes had been loaded in your Land Rover, On the double yellow lines it was parked over, So on this occasion we are pleased to say, The council accept your appeal, you do not have to pay.” Ms Parsons told the BBC she was shocked to have “got out of the fine, even though I was parked in the wrong place”.

Legal

A humorous poem about “man flu”

Body

Airline's stunning reply to passenger's complaint

We’ve seen our fair share of unusual customer complaints<a href="/finance/money-banking/2018/01/rsl-patron-returns-sandwich-because-its-not-cut-in-half-as-requested/" target="_blank"></a>, but this one (and the company’s response) takes the cake as the most unique and clever of them all. Disgruntled passenger Gus Dolding took to budget airline Norwegian Air’s Facebook page to air his grievances with the company, complaining about being charged $188 to change the name on his plane ticket after an error. But being a musician, Dolding had a rather unorthodox way of filing his complaint, opting to write it in the form of a poem: Why can't you be fair Norwegian Air No headphones do you include Nine hours with no free food The stress of a sixty-quid bag Would make the plumpest of mammories sag Aviational scandals from Scandinavian vandals You're a disgrace to the Norwegian flag And Kiwi.com you're just as bad Helping these rogues as there's money to be had Is it hard to operate with decency? To cooperate and offer leniency? I admit it was wrong to put his first name as Bill William Edward Gabriel, the seat whose bum will fill One hundred and twenty euros for what? For two minutes of typing that's rather a lot Why can't you be fair Norwegian Air Just skip that amendment fee And just let us change it for free To their credit, Norwegian decided to forgo the usual cut-and-paste corporate response in favour of an equally clever and unique reply. Dear Gus, We understand all the fuss We try our best to reduce all the buzz But fear not because we do not throw anyone under the bus especially not a person like you since diamonds in this world are so few We are sorry for any inconvenience that may have occurred It can seem like our vision is sometimes blurred But I can promise you that we try to fly like a bird We thank you for your rhyme We had a really great time You thank us for being fair We thank you for joining us up in the air We wish you a great trip With us the world is on your finger tip Just be sure to follow the landing strip The airline agreed to waive the fee, and a thrilled Dolding thanked them with one final poem. I'm sorry for my anger was quite misplaced And I responded with unnecessary haste The booking agent is who lacked any manners They do not deserve to be professional planners Cheers for being so easy to reach The robots on phones can be hard to breach I commend you again, would recommend to a friend You've saved me and my friends 40 euros each! Facebook users loved the hilarious exchange, labelling it as “brilliant” and calling for the company to give a raise to their social media managers. Norwegian Air issued a statement praising their customer service personnel, writing, “Our customer care team are on hand to support more than 30 million passengers flying with Norwegian each year, and this poem shows they are also a flexible, clever and creative group of people. “We’re delighted to resolve the customer’s issue in a playful way that shows that a little light-heartedness can go a long way.”

Travel Trouble

A poem looking back on the horror of polio

Pippa Kay, 65, is a writer with many interests. She enjoys time with her family, sailing, reading, writing, and all sorts of travel. She belongs to writing organisations including the Society of Women Writers and the Fellowship of Australian Writers. POLIO When we were kids a monster came to play. Its slobber slimed our toys. It swam at our beach uninvited; splashed us and ran away; hid in our homes, always just out of reach. Hands over ears couldn’t stop its snigger as it crept under beds, slept on the floor. It wasn’t scared of us. It was bigger stronger and worse than anything before. It shared our breath and caught the goodnight kiss mothers blew from lips to land on our cheeks. Chance chose its victims. It was hit and miss slaughter. This killer stalked our town for weeks in nineteen-fifty-three. Our legs were chained, voices frozen. Some children couldn’t walk. Some couldn’t breathe. Infants were constrained in iron lungs. Many died before Salk’s vaccine arrived. With open arms and doors We asked the virus vanquisher to stay. We rolled up our sleeves, took the jab, because we wanted this monster to go away. Do you have a poem to share? Share your story with Over60 <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/contributor/community-contributor/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Caring

The poem that will solve your gift buying worries

As enjoyable as the Christmas season is, sometimes festive celebrations can get a tad overwhelming as your list of presents to buy seems to grow exponentially each year. These days, children and adults alike get most of the things they want throughout the year, leaving ideas for Christmas presents very slim. However, a clever rhyme is making the rounds on the internet which gives people clear direction as to what to buy as a present. It goes like this: “Something they want. Something they need. Something to wear. Something to read.” Something they want is usually a toy or game and something they need is usually something practical like a lunchbox or stationary. The last two lines don’t need any explanation. This rhyme also works when you have to brainstorm ideas for birthday presents. How do you come up with creative present ideas? Let us know in the comments below.

Retirement Life

A poem about our mother

Beverly Roberts enjoys writing and has belonged to few writer's groups in Cairns. Over the years, she has written for the local Cairns Post newspaper, doing book and theatre reviews, as well as for the local Rondo Theatre. As family has always played a big part of her life, she loves writing about her family. Our Mother In my mind and in my heart Are so many pictures of our Mother A gentle, patient, caring and loving soul, Loved by all who knew her. See the photo album? All those years ago, back in the twenties, In her rolled down stockings, And her flattened bosom, Her cloche hat And her twinkling eyes. And our Father, Who did not think to be a father then, Was smitten. And who would be otherwise? They married in love and laughter. She followed him from state to state From city to city, Totting up half a hundred addresses. She went where the love was And he kept her near him. But five children? No. Never. Impossible, they said. Sorry dearest parents, words could not stop it. Your history rolled over you And brought the five. Should there be an auction of feelings today With the five as the bidders, Who would win the prize? Each had their special memories Each thinks they were the special one She was like that. We were all the winners. Our Mother, Beautiful in soul and word, Beautiful in nature and thought, Beautiful in the bright light Of her own beliefs. And right. Always right. Always the right word. The right, small scolding Occasionally used. The laughter, the love, the joy, In that family home, All held together by her... Our Mother. It's all there, in our memories, In our hearts, For ever and ever and ever. Oh, we have been so lucky.

Family & Pets

An ode for baby boomers today

<img width="117" height="100" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44623/julie-g-aka-barbara-bindland_117x100.jpg" alt="Julie G Aka Barbara Bindland (7)" style="float: left;"/> Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. OUR GOLDEN AGE! An ode for baby boomers today, These are our golden days, Over-sixties in our third age, We’re sixty shades of senile and grey, Either old, and fat, and grey, Or men looking like Sinead, Gravity has won along the way, But, we’re the optimists, let’s say, Our folks had no T.V, and no pill, That’s why we’re here, no dills, Did we really stop a war? Or was it media driven for all? But, hey, we do it our way, Let’s all kick butt today, In this, our third age, Over-sixties in our golden age!

Retirement Life

Poem captures joys of ageing

<img width="138" height="118" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/39110/julie-g-aka-barbara-bindland_138x118.jpg" alt="Julie G Aka Barbara Bindland (1)" style="float: right;"/>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. AH, THE JOYS OF AGING… What is it really like to be old? Read along, and you’ll be told, Well, there’s spectacles and hearing aids, Also along the way, by the way, There’s dentures in glasses, Zimmers for greys who want to make passes, Then there’s incontinence aids, bad hips, Appointments at medical specialists, Then you’re off to the pharmacists, To get all your scripts, Then there’s the alphabet song, Read along, read along, A is for Arthritis, B is for Bursitis, C is for Constipation, Always a grey consternation, D is for Diarrhoea, And no doctor wants to know ya! Finally, Z is for the big sleep at the end, No wonder geriatrics go round the bend! Yes, greys, these are our golden years, Have fun learning, no need for tears!

Retirement Life

Poem on growing older

Graham Poynter, 79, drove semi-trailers interstate and locally for the final 30 years of his working life. This verse was written when he was 65 just after returning from a long truck trip. He’s now retired and travels with his wife in a car and caravan to various parts of Australia. It’s just that he likes driving. How am I? Let me tell you. My joints all ache. My muscles hurt. Don’t think I’ll see out another shirt. I’ve put on weight. Can’t touch my toes. Just a couple of things amid other woes. I’m always tired. Can’t sleep at night. Each morning I feel I’ve been in a losing fight. When I try to think my mind goes numb. I never used to be this dumb. My body hurts. I cannot run. For me life seems to have lost it’s fun. My sight is fair. My hearing too. There are so many things I can no longer do. I do my best. It’s not enough. Living now has become so tough. So now I must believe what I’m told. They tell me it’s that I’ve become too old. The time has come and I must agree There can be no big future plans for me. We are getting old when life has gone so fast That there is not much ahead and so much in the past. No longer the thought of setting the world on fire. My thoughts now are that I should retire. So now I think it’s time to take a rest. It’s the one thing left that I can do best. PS. I guess I was just having a whinge because I did continue for a further seven years… Do you have a poem or story to share? <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/contributor/community-contributor/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to share your story with Over60.

Retirement Life

A humorous poem about ageing

Lynn Fowler can’t remember a time she didn’t write. As a Christian minister, much of her writing has been Christian non-fiction and poetry. She’s recently ventured into fiction and released her first general market novel. Growing old (dis)gracefully Youth says age should be discreet soft and gentle and ever so sweet should dress in a manner that befits our days featuring mostly dark blues and greys should potter in garden or else in the house and when out in public be quiet as a mouse and never, never make a fuss “today” is all about them, not us. Well, I've news for you, Darling, and none of it's good: and don't answer back 'cause I'm not in the mood. I intend to keep being sassy and loud I don't need to be approved by the crowd. I intend to keep speaking my mind when I care I intend to keep fighting for what's right and fair. I intend to keep dancing to music that's cool: I couldn't care less who thinks me a fool. I plan to keep talking to strangers on trains and jumping in puddles whenever it rains and to keep running through grass that is long and flying a kite and singing a song; swinging on branches playing in sand and spending some days without anything planned. I plan to keep traveling and seeing new places experiencing life with all kinds of races. I want to ride rapids and fly a balloon - give me half a chance and I'll fly to the moon. I want to keep learning, expanding my mind, I've experienced much but there's much more to find. I might learn to juggle or speak Cantonese, but whatever I do will be just what I please. I'm going to keep wearing purple and green I don't care if those colors should never be seen with bright red and yellow and orange and blue - I might throw a splash of magenta in, too. I'll make no apology for what I say: my “use by date” is still far, far away. So don't let me hear you “Oh Grandma!”-ing me: I've waited a lifetime to become this free. Lynn’s short general writing can be found <a href="https://niume.com/profile/50152#!/posts">here</a> and her books <a href="http://birdcatcherbooks.com/">here</a>. *Picture is a stock image and not of Lynn Fowler. Do you have a story to share? Share your story with the Over60 community <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/community/contributor/community-contributor/">today</a>.

Retirement Life

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A Mother’s Day poem for those who have lost their mums

A heartwarming poem about life during COVID-19

Does a smartphone make us smart?

The hilarious A-Z guide on the perils of ageing

Hilarious poem about the perils of men in retirement

Woman dodges parking fine after writing hilarious poem to council

A humorous poem about “man flu”

Airline's stunning reply to passenger's complaint

A poem looking back on the horror of polio

The poem that will solve your gift buying worries

A poem about our mother

An ode for baby boomers today

Poem captures joys of ageing

Poem on growing older

A humorous poem about ageing