The festive season - more or less!

It starts with a phone call a calendar date,

A scribbled reference I can hardly wait,

Like a child again I anticipate

Age doesn't change or pleasure abate.

A January morning I am ready for fun

Friends and Neighbours bus collects everyone,

The date on my calendar I cannot forget

Though outside is raining and the paving is wet.

Veronica and Brenda are ringing my bell

"Are you ready Sally" I can hear them yell,

"Course I am" I tell them, I open the door

They shelter in the passage, rain drips the floor.

Now on our way through the traffic and the rain

Greeting each passenger than onward again,

We are met at the theatre by John and Colin too

Representatives of the Rotary club with tickets to view.

Finocchio the wooden boy, a story long ago

Pantomimed on stage, we collect to watch the show,

It opens in the forest with the tallest tree

An enchanted forest, a Cricket talks you see.

There is wickedness and evil, a blight upon the land

They lop the growing branch to stop a life that's planned,

But Jan the Cricket promises the Oak

She would save the sapling, and find a loving bloke.

Then into the clearing a young lad appears

Rescues the branch from the forest fears,

Watched by the Cricket who ventures out alone

Determined to save the forest all on her own.

The setting then changes to a humble abode

Where lived a widow and son with love to explode,

The widow wants a grandson to give this love to

The son (a wood carver) would make her wish come true

The branch kept on growing too big for the boy

So Gessepi gave a promise to carve a new toy,

His mother was delighted, the wooden boy could talk

A grandson at last, who could even walk.

 So many adventures, he saved his fathers-life­

From an ocean whale he helped him to survive,

The evil trio came to grief when trifling with the tree

As Pinocchio and Cricket outwitted them, you see.

The children in the audience joined in with the fun

A song was penned upon the stage to sing with everyone

The adults became children for the day

Joining with the laughter and charades in this way.

Tables were reserved for that final cup of tea

Thanks to the kindness bestowed by the Rotary,

Tired but happy; another successful day

We said our goodbyes and went upon our way.

I would like to say "Thank you" to everyone

All concerned with planning a day filled with fun

A mind alive with pictures; another memory

It makes all the difference to stretch the boundary.

Sally Flood

Dear Colin and John;

Just a line to say "Thank you" for yesterday, good company and a good laugh, can't be bad. I hope you like my poem, I wrote that in the early hours when sleep don't come easy, but ideas do.

I don't think you really know how much good going out and mixing with all age groups do to the morale.

You know when we were young and going out was taken for granted, I don't think I realised that time was only borrowed. When I was engaged in reminiscence work in hospitals and centres with Age Exchange and Shape, I know just how the people we worked with responded, and now I know why.

Drop me a line and let me know if you like my poem or otherwise, criticism can also be constructive.

Once again "thank you" the name of the web site is "Red Lamp" under poetry, I am featured poet.

Hope to meet up again sometime