Poetic Prancing

I am well aware that I haven't blogged for some days now, and in case there is anyone out there actually reading my ramblings, I'd like to apologise.

I also want to say sorry for what I'm about to write, I'm hoping you'll allow me to post one of my all time favourite poems. Not the sort of poem I want reading when I die you understand, I have a couple of those tucked up my sleeve, but one that has meant something during my lifetime. For those of you that know a little about me, I'm sure you'll understand.

Strangely, when I first discovered this piece of work was on a visit to Mr Grumpy's Great Aunt's cottage in Loch Maben in Scotland. She was a truly wonderful, yet small, lady that welcomed anyone and everyone in to her home and her life. Sadly I only had the honour of knowing her for a few years, but I will have the memories of holidays in her cottage forever. Maybe those stories can be shared another time, but today is about Aunty Lillian's books. I love reading and she always encouraged me to take one of her many many books to bed with me to help me drop off. It was very cold, even with the electric blanket! Sometimes I chose one of her Reader's Digest but this one particular night, I found a small, green, hard backed book of poetry.

I actually read this poem and thought of my parents, but as the years went by, it applied to me. I hope you enjoy it, and forgive the punctuation, I copied it exactly.

Just Growing Pains

Just growing pains that made him say that hurtful, bitter thing today. He didn't mean to give you pain, t'was just a storm that swept his brain and made him argue black was white; and bad was good, and wrong was right, and made him scoff and made him sneer at all the things you hold most dear. He isn't bad, that boy of yours, but just like other, scores and scores.

First babyhood then childhood wanes, and then, there comes these growing pains! Oh! Foolish parents to believe he likes to make you fret and grieve. The minute that the word had leapt from his hot tongue he could have wept, he felt ashamed, too proud, alack, to take the silly statement back. He is a man (and you should know it) and loves you much, but cannot show it. He has to quote from Bernard Shaw and rant about life's highest law and say religion's out of date and reconstruct the church and state.

Soon will this phase grow weak and wane - it's nothing but a growing pain.