For the sake of our long lost friends
We have' gathered together today
I want to hear news from you all
But first hear what I have to say
Years ago, small, we went to school
Grew, one teenage girl was randy
The boys were always watching her
One of the big boys was handy
Alas, teachers were too trusting
They lacked a basic roll call rule
In a mixed school get mixed up, lost
Facts of life lessons can be cruel
We still can't be sure why she left
Where she hid, holidayed, was sent
Whether the child survived and thrived
What she did later, where she went
We learned a lot of book lessons
Geography and history
Our schooldays were a comedy
A tragedy and mystery
Some questions still are unanswered
We wonder how each story ends
And that is why we gather here
To learn the secrets from old friends
One of them nods, knows a secret
But says,"Yyou must not pass it on
About the people who're long gone
Friends, after all I could be wrong'
Events and faces in my mind
The last names of all, I forget
But one name I remember well
I found him on the internet
He said, 'I can't come to meet you
I'm caring for my frail mother
But I'm still in touch with schoolfriends
I'll link you up with another
That new one led me to one more
I kept on adding, three to four
Then four to five, remarkable
That they're all thriving and alive
So we agreed a month to meet
We fixed a time to eat, mid-day
A half way point, the countryside
Remote, but it was fair, mid-way
When we met at the pub, for great grub,
A guessing game, black hair turned grey
I know the face, forget the name
How did that shy girl reach such fame?
Time to let quarrels be bygones
Now's not the time for raising blame
Now is a good time to lie again
Pretend, 'Old friend - you look the same'
The pub is comfy and cosy
We choose good food but healthy drink
The past we recall was rosy
We don't say the home truths we think
Although now that we're getting old
We're direct, perceptive and bold
We speak warmly, though once were cold
Now fondly embrace all our fold
We never liked uniform dress
We've made mistakes, laugh and confess
We shrug, waiting, minor distress
We're glad our shared bill's not more, less
'though randy Joe still looks frisky
He's half asleep after whisky
We're no longer bored by the bores
But kindly smile when somebody snores
With laughter and smiles, roll back years
Forget all fears, wipe joyful tears
Goodbye, I hope that when next year ends
We'll reunite revived old friends.
If stuck in bed, in a bedroom
Then we can meet again on Zoom.
-ends-
I though I would write a revised version of Auld Lang Syne in modern language. However, it turned into a retelling of the delightful reunion in 2003 of my husband's old schoolfriends from a mixed grammar school in London, Viners, in the UK.
Written Tuesday Feb 20th 2023, the first few lines started as I lay in bed in the early hours of the monring. Fortunately I got back to sleep, but was able to re-create the opening and reach a satisfing ending next afternoon. Copyright Angela Lansbury. But please share with friends links to this post.
Photo of a xoom toastmasters meeting reuniting Angela In London with others in Singapore.
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