Tribute to Mum on her 75^th Birthday

 

By Yvonne Rocque

 

Mum, we hope the following will make you understand

The many years we spent

Along with you and Dad

It was exciting and nail biting

Surprising but also grand.

 

To raise six complex children

Was quite a gigantic task

But look at the way, we all turned out

It’s more than you can ask.

 

So now, this is remembering time

We hope you will bear with us

Let’s go back in time and do it in rhyme

To give this an added plus.

 

And so we turn to Brian

The first of the Gomes’ bunch

What can we say about him

When it comes down to the crunch

He did not like to go to school

It made him want to shout

But artistic and talented, of that, there is no doubt

He collected souvenirs and things of pieces large and small

But the one that really took the cake

Was a piece of the Taj Mahal!

 

To Yvonne now, the second one

Who loved to go to school

But hated Maths and Hindi

Which was a golden rule

So off to a tutor she was sent

Of whom she did abhor!

The poor man pulled his hair out

It was as useless, as closing a swing door

 

Now we have Russell

Who when he was little

Loved collecting nuts and bolts

To us it was a bore

Remember when a peanut field

He tried to burn in patches

When Dad came out to look for him

He tried to hide the matches!

 

Christopher Oh Christopher

It’s your turn now my boy

When you were just a little child

Someone called you Lord Fauntleroy!

But Lord or not, the toys you liked

Were Mummy’s pots and pans

But you created such a din

That from them, you were banned.

When you grew up, between you and Mum

You drove her round the bend

She’d throw her pots and pans at you

Till you passed them back again.

 

Remember, Remember, the 5^th of November

A little girl was born

You named her Christine Audrey

She created quite a storm

When she was in boarding school

The Nuns, she liked to stir

And they in turn would listen

And lay in wait for her

Many nights she would lead her friends

They would all go midnight snacking

The minute she heard a nun get up

She would pretend to be sleepwalking!

 

Last but not the least, we come to Dot

Remember the pot of tea?

She was such a little fidget

As busy as a bee

She climbed the table when only two

And spilt this boiling tea

It fell upon her stomach and down upon her knee

We rushed her to a Doctor

Then, 90 miles away

Into the jeep away we sped

Your face was almost grey

 

Yes, you’ve had your share of shocks Mum

You’ve travelled far and wide

You’ve had happiness and sorrow

But you took them in your stride

You taught us all life’s principles

And we look to you with pride!

 

Most of us are married now

With children of our own

They have grown to know and love you

Because you are their own

There’s one more thing we’d like to say

Before you turn this page

Dad is smiling down on you

For having attained this age!

 

You’ve shared in all our ups and downs

In happiness, stress and sorrow
And so we salute and thank you Mum

For Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

 

 

 

Written and composed by your daughter, Yvonne Rocque

 

Yvonne Rocgue lives and writes in Perth, Western Australia. She does not use a computer and is writing down her autobiography.