MISS AMERICA
| I have visited the nursing homes Since I was just a boy And the many friends I've found there Have filled my heart with joy But there was one American lady So different to the rest Every time I stopped to chat with her She put me to the test The years have rolled by mercilessly Yet, still today I find The first moment that I saw her Is imprinted on my mind I was chatting with some old friends About the happy days they'd known But my gaze kept straying to her As she sat there all alone I asked my friends why they ignored her They said she wanted it that way She had needed time to settle She had just moved in that day She had told them very gently That she needed time to think She was so deep in contemplation I hardly saw her blink She had an aura of contentment Though at times her eyes held tears But her heart seemed mainly cheerful As her mind retraced her years As the memories from the distant past Now fell into place Her reaction to each memory Showed plainly on her face So many years of memories How quick the years had flown And again she lived the happiness And the hardships she had known Though frail, she had such beauty In her kind and gentle face She was to me a perfect vision Of a lady of true grace After many hours of chatting With the friends that I had there She studied me intently As I walked by her chair She had been so deep in reverie I intended passing by But she beckoned with a friendly wave And a most demanding "WHY?" Then with pretended anger She smiled "How ignorant can you be?" "I saw you chat with all the others, So what the hell is wrong with me?" I tried to give my explanation But not one word would she permit She pointed to a chair And then ordered me to "SIT!" I little knew that day I met her The happy hours that she would bring With her humour and her laughter She was the very voice of spring She was knowledge and sincerity She was faith and hope and trust And her infectious, honest laughter Could turn all worry into dust Her wisdom was so evident Not one subject would she shun At times our talks were serious But mostly, we had fun I visited her so often I knew her routine well She would greet me with a smart remark And a brand new joke to tell She'd playfully start an argument With a lengthy diatribe And her expressions were more humorous Than my words can describe She would call me 'obstinate Aussie' When we failed to agree So I'd call her 'Miss America' And she'd chuckle with such glee She was loved by all the residents For her happy, friendly style And when some felt despondent She could usually make them smile One day I had my wife there with me We'd just been married at that stage She teased "why do you keep hounding me Can't you find a girl your age? She filled the air with laughter When I told her of my hope I dropped down on my knees And playfully begged her to elope Pure devilment and humour Flowed from every word she'd speak My wife and I both loved her And we'd visit twice each week The few times we missed a visit Forgiveness was denied She'd send a note of sympathy Expressing sorrow that we'd died But her devilish sense of humour I felt sometimes went astray As I approached her chair one morning I feared she'd passed away I could not detect her breathing And her eyes stared into space Her eyelids didn't flutter As I stooped to search her face This woman meant so much to me To me she was pure gold I feared that when I touched her face Her flesh would be so cold I could have murdered her that morning For as my consternation grew I gently touched her forehead That's when she loudly hollered "BOO!" I didn't think that it was funny And my mood was very black Through her twisted sense of humour I'd damn near had a heart attack We chatted with her many times So many hours we shared Old age didn't worry her She wasn't one bit scared She said her husband was a dashing man "An adventurer one might say." She was filled with fear and sadness When they left the U.S.A. "He said that we would see the world." She remembered with a smile "But I knew what he was thinking When he said we'd stay a while." "It was in the great depression Those years were such a curse We landed in the midst of it We could not have timed it worse." "I'll admit that I was frightened Our prospects looked so lean My husband was just twenty And I, a mere eighteen" "Though times were tough we managed There was not one job he'd shirk He toiled in coal mines and on gold fields He was not afraid of work." She was a woman in her eighties And though I was in my prime She dearly loved to tease me And she'd trap me every time We'd be discussing something serious Then with her impish brain She'd detour from the subject And trap me once again "I'm not happy with the modern world Things have changed too much The young have lost direction They are sadly out of touch." "I loved the 'old' Australians It was a different country then The young have it too easy They're a weaker breed of men." "You see young men in beauty salons They emerge with stylish hair Why, they even have a manicure It fills me with despair." "The young men now wear face creams The 'old' Australian's face was tan I liked the country better When a man was still a man." "And what's happened to young women?" "It seems they have no pride With the skimpy things they wear today There's nothing left to hide." "And those young girls in their blue jeans My anger purely rankles If they wear the waist much lower It will be down around their ankles." She knew I'd defend the young ones And it filled her pleasure cup Her laughter soon revealed She'd said these things to stir me up She had a unique sense of humour She'd fold her hands upon her lap Then she'd commence to 'bait' me And I'd fall into her trap Her knowledge was amazing She read the 'papers' every day She believed while she kept learning Her mind would not fall in decay She liked a nip of brandy And sometimes had a 'smoke' But she derived her greatest pleasure When telling a new joke But in her serious moments Her face was anxious then serene As she'd relate so many happenings Her numerous years had seen "We both grew to love this country And we became Australian 'types' But the flag that flies within my heart Still bears the stars and stripes." "But this country has been good to me And I swear to you, it's true Though I'll always love my homeland I'm a dinkum Aussie, too." Some memories weighed upon her And still she rued the day Her only boy left for the city He had quickly gone astray When she received that letter She had thought her heart would fail In black letters that still haunt her It was post marked: Goulburn Jail Just a green boy from the country He fell to a life of crime She had prayed that he'd be wiser After he had served his time In the closing words he'd written Some encouragement she found He promised her sincerely He would turn his life around When released, he joined the army And it made her feel so proud She yearned for his returning But he came home in a shroud She remembered how she'd held him That day he sailed away And he promised on returning He was coming home to stay Many tragedies are written On life's uncertain page His life was taken from him At just twenty years of age She had also lost her husband But her daughter still lived on And the friends that she had cherished Almost all of them were gone But she had tasted so much happiness To neutralise the pain Life had been a great adventure She'd gladly live her years again She said "Some troubles come upon us To make our life as black as night But with faith that is unyielding We soon embrace the morning light." "We must not give in to heartbreak When it seems our world will end And though our path ahead looks stormy A rainbow waits around the bend." "Hurt makes our hearts grow kinder For each hurt helps to reveal The pain that others suffer And the heartbreak that they feel." "My mum gave me one golden rule And it's one I've tried to follow Keep faith and love locked in your heart And happiness will follow." I remember how I shocked her How it filled her with dismay When I said I was agnostic And that I never kneeled to pray For a time she sat in silence And not another word was said Until she reached out with her wrinkled hand And gently stroked my head "So you don't believe or disbelieve You're agnostic so you say?" "Well, somewhere along the road of life You've sadly lost your way." "For those who have a true belief How fortunate we are Without my God to soothe the heartbreak I could not have came this far." "I've walked all my life with Jesus He has been my constant friend And I know that He'll be with me When this life comes to its end." "When you give your heart to Jesus His light comes shining through And the blue bird of happiness Will sing his song for you." Since she left this world we dwell in So many years have passed But the hours that I spent with her Hold sweet memories that will last When I see the American Eagle Or the 'Torch of Liberty' They are a permanent reminder Of 'Miss America' to me It gave her so much fun to tease me Her humour always on display But in my life it is her absence That torments me most today K.D. Abbott © 2009 |
| NOTE: Dinkum is a slang word meaning genuine |
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