Hard Times

HARD TIMES

This is a poster, one of three,

Issued at a time of adversity.

At the time of their printing the British Isles

Were only a matter of a few short miles

From devastation and despair.

Hitler was in France 'just over there',

And he was viewing the other side

Over the Channel, which was hardly wide!

From near where I lived I could view the sight

Of French headlights flashing in the night!

With many others I was sent

To safety far away from Kent.

Then Britain waited for the War

To reach the step of its own front door.

France had been conquored by 'the Hun'

And we knew we were the following one!

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The posters lay ready to be displayed

And preparations were quickly made.

Then, quite surprisingly, it started......,

The Battle of Britain! The Lion-Hearted

Young men gave their lives on high,

Sweeping Hitler from the sky.

The War still had many years to go

Before we saw the last of the foe,

But the fear of invasion never returned,

And Hitler's plans had been truly spurned.

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So this blue poster was never needed!

It's cheerful message never heeded!

The posters slowly moulded away,

And it seems that none are left today.

And yet I think it was rather fine!

A lovely crisp and clear design.
The repeated use of the little word 'your',
Would have made one feel one could cope with War.
It's a little piece of history
That could have worked, so it seems to me.
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LOOMING.

One little man and so many dangers

Shadowing his life and making me afraid!

I know he'll survive them yet I can't help worrying

About the life my generation's made!

I survived Hitler so he may be fortunate

And come, unscathed, through life's shadowed days.

And, for now, he's a little man who thinks life's perfect

As he laughs and giggles and runs and plays.

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PS

The cruise is fading into a blurred memory already! I've been busy slotting back into the old, so very pleasant, routine. Here I play catch-up. Frequent visitors (you, Mike?) will recognise a lot of the old faces! Here are a few highlights of my week.

Ros and Loretta prepared the Merry Mellows annual party while I was away. Luckily, we had enough money in the kitty to cover it.

We watched a video of 'Tiddly Pom'. I think this was the final number. We all look a bit hazy and gob-smacked but we enjoyed watching our February antics 'from the front'.

Also this week I went to a meeting of the local Federation of Australian Writers to give a talk on last year's Short and Sweet program. We acted my three entries, and discussed the relative merits (or otherwise). I received a handsome cheque and this very nice certificate.

Next day I got all political and went to a meeting of the local women's lobby group where my friend, Gwenda, speaking, roused us all on the subject of Violence Against the Elderly. What a dreadful thing that is!

Finally, we had our usual Friday Merry Mellows meeting to discuss our program and to run through the next two stagings. Here are a few of us having coffee after lunch. Again..... the old familiar faces. It's good to be back.

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