Enter the stone-walled building where the floors are worn by feet
where loving true believers have sewn cushions for your seat
acknowledge the friends and neighbours, nods and smiles and waves
a bow for the man-made altar, for the presence of He who saves
Sing with a loud voice rejoicing that the birth of the babe is near
swell with pride as the children sing with voices loud and clear
feel the bumps of joyous arousal as the choir sings silent night
then it’s home for a toddy and mince pie with Christmas day in sight
sitting waiting for my tyre to be changed, phones ringing, people chatting, magazines on the table enticing me to read about the latest hatch match and dispatches
‘Your tyre cannot be fixed madam, and if you have a new one you will need a new one on the other side as well, a wheel alignment is essential’
‘sit right down madam, it will only take half an hour’ read the magazine, who split up with who and what have the royals been doing this time!!
gazing moodily out of the window thinking about life, wishing i had brought a book, having conversations in my head, sorting out my world
‘Your car’s ready Madam, here is the bill’ should have just bought a new car I mutter as I walk out to the car , off to work at last!
people in the cake shop busy making cakes
barista making coffee, tea and thick milk shakes
people bustling past with early morning quips
talking of the football and hopeful Melbourne trips
babies in a swaddle looking confidently round
mothers sipping coffee and a yummy cake they found
people in a hurry with coffee takeaway
chatting, laughing, sharing as they face another day
snatches of conversation heard ‘she said he said’
tired folk after night shift going home to bed
morning people rushing to start the working day
each life touched momentarily then hurrying away
a hustle and a bustle piped music overhead
scraping chairs and laughter lights flickering overhead
children chatting, whiny, gurgling baby noises too
lucky to be here sipping coffee waiting for you
That final career move, the end of work, is that really right for me?
Have i achieved all I wanted, am I now at the end? will my workplace cease to be?
as I gaze down the years from then to here it seems to be just a flash
as quick as a wink, gone in a blink and what did I do with that cash?
I feel like a teenager full of angst, not sure how to behave or to be
if I retire from work and start to shirk what will become of me?
Will I start to bemoan all the aches and the pains that seem to trouble the old
will I hunch up my back, forget where I am and complain of the heat and the cold?
will my skin become wrinkled and my eyesight fade, will I repeat myself endlessly too
Will I forget who I am and be put in a home out of danger and out of thoughts too
but before that all happens I could spend some time wandering all over Australia
looking at the rock, checking out beaches not chatting about what may ail yer!
the cycle of life is a wonderful thing each change can be seen as adventure
but should I retire ? well the old adage says there is nothing to gain with no venture!!
Drinking tea with Sharon
Gossiping and chatting, sharing stories, gazing amazed at the clever antics of children
Women’s talk, women’s time, women together but no longer
Friendship and laughter, snappy irritations, quiet conversation, life’s joys
Intimate closeness revealing each other’s strengths and weakness
No holds barred, a feisty relationship with laughter and tears
Love, fondness, understanding, misunderstanding but no longer
Now memories only of strength and independence live on in my mind
Haunting me, making me smile, making me cry and filling my heart with heaviness
Nurturing, kind, loving woman, hardworking, fast moving, caring and kind
Tough woman, inspiring woman, busy woman but no longer
Tears are wasted when life’s to be lived and your legacy lives on
Penny's Jottings 