When I walked past I noticed three old ladies on a bench
They behaved high-spirited as they were simply a wench
At first sight I thought their retirement surely must have come
But they seem so talkative and very adventuresome

They sipped their coffee and were laughing like sweet little girls
Dressed with flowers on their bold red hats and earrings with pearls
Gossiping the morning away with scintillate laughter
I thought this was something everybody have sought after

Carefree and fearless they were dancing through their bursting lives
Filled with impartial love as girlfriends, grandmothers and wives
One of the white-haired ladies grinned and winked a flirty eye
When a man on roller skates in his eighties passed her by

I snickered delighted and asked if I could join the fun
Let their joy ease my sorrow and let me in on the pun
But well of course dearest girl, they all three said straight away
Enjoy like you are without a care in the world and play

So from now on I have three new old souls for which I care
And you can guess the kind of headgear that I gladly wear
I bought myself a bouquet of flowers for my red hat
And I enjoy immensely from my daily fun and chat

Hear my voice, hear my news
I have an important declaration to make
It is something not entirely amuse
There is some big event at stake

It is the year of nineteen fifty seven
That wonderful day of June the thirteenth
There comes a dazzling baby from heaven
Not on the twelfth of the fourteenth

Just on a simple Thursday night
It is the 164th day of the year
There comes a beautiful girl in sight
At this time it is still unclear

How she is like, what she will achieve
But there is one thing I can predict
She is the one you should believe
The best mediator in any conflict

Because I can surely guarantee
She will see the cons and pros
And while everybody can disagree
Eventually she is the one who knows

If you have a problem that needs to be solved
And you can’t find the answer on your own
Just ask her if she wants to be involved
And lead you by the hand into the unknown

I thought you were my friend
But your laughs were not sincere
You were acting as my best friend
But when I need you, you’re not here

I thought friends would stick together
And of all the times we spent
It makes me wonder whether
You ever were a real friend

Was I real or just a pastime
I thought friends would always be there
But you started my name to begrime
And you were busy elsewhere

So this will be my last mistake
Of choosing the wrong friend
It spares me some stomach ache
Just need to learn how to pretend

She told me she had a friend
They are writing once in awhile
Playful memories without end
About anything with a smile

Or sometimes with a tear in her eyes
Because life isn’t always fair
This friendship is a blessing in disguise
Because they are always there

For each other when needed the most
A friendly word, a blowing kiss
And when the letter comes with the post
It will bring them both some bliss

This year they have a celebration
Of a friendship of 50 years
Such a long relation
They have seen laughter and tears

Papers, papers, papers all around
What should I do with it
Should I keep them with a string bound
Or stack them neatly fit

I’ve got some writing paper, crisp and clean
Flimsy paper weighing like feather
The most exquisite drawn lines you’ve ever seen
Perfect white and bound in leather

I’ve got vellum smooth as a babies skin
The finest parchment durable for time
It looks so good when mixed in
With Calligraphy letters of rhyme

Then of course there is some waste paper left
With the news of everyday
It’s something you can stack to the heft
Or just daily throw away

My favourite papers are just scraps
In all the colours of the rainbow
With butterfly pictures or maps
Just any kind if I may say-so

In my treasure box I found a special one
My dissertation on humanity
The best thesis award I have won
Kept me from insanity

And in the corner of an old chest
I found some wallpaper that I left behind
You should’ve thought I was obsessed
Whatever ideas did I have on my mind

It’s just a sheet of paper you say
But you know I really must admit
I don’t want to throw it all away
I continue to gather bit by bit

Just finished the last painting
The last painting on my wall
All different kinds of artwork
Some are giant, some are small

One is of my first meeting
With a cute neighbourhood boy
We danced and learned, we explored
And loved to play and enjoy

Another one is coloured
With all kinds of hues and shades
It must suggest my whirlwind
Of crazy thoughts and charades

On the wall above the stairs
I hung some flowery art
Every day I go to bed
It raises my weary heart

The last one I like the best
It stands for a family
It contains blobs and splashes
Sprouted from my fantasy

You say time and again that you love me
But I can’t feel it in your touch
I am full of longing of unfulfilled desire
I am yearning for your embrace so much

You say time and again that you love me
But I can’t feel your emotional support
Only the gibberish words I am hearing
With that, you’re coming way too short

You say time and again that you love me
But I don’t get space for self-expression
You are smothering me so tight
Only give me pompous reprehension

You say time and again that you love me
But I don’t see reason for celebration
You are selfish and bitterly spiteful
And have no awareness for consolation

You say time and again that you love me
That your love for me is endless
But there is no passionate feeling in you
The two of us together is just senseless

He had a song in his voice
And a gift for the rhyme
He gave you a choice
To love him in time

For after all these years
I heard him for real
With eyes full of tears
An open heart to feel

The music pounding in me
Went straight to my soul
Just a few songs on TV
Lifted my spirit and made me whole

I see your old and battered face
I remember these lines so well
The heartfelt worries and the laughs
They represent your life, they tell

The story of your ups and downs
Compassion granted to your friends
The vital things you taught your kids
And learning lessons never ends

You’re almost at the end of life
Just a few breaths are left for you
Thank you that you have been my friend
And you always loved me, I knew

I close my eyes and see our house
With the chipped front door out of its rods
The faded paint, the crooked window frames
It is still standing against the odds

When I put one foot over the threshold
I see my childlike drawings on the wall
The wear of the carpet in the hallway
Where we were having a ball

I see a shallow hole in the paneling
Where you slammed your fist
Because you were enraptured
The first time that we kissed

I notice the abundant food stains
Of spaghetti sauce and peas
And recollect the cleanup
Of yogurt and cream cheese

I remember all the obstacles
The pitfalls and the cracks
But also the enduring love
The way we used to relax

We left this place a long time ago
Children grown, this house too large
But after all these long forgotten years
Even so it has a positive charge

Occasionally, when I come down here
It still gives me a rouse
Because I will never cease to love
This old abandoned house