Poem - We forgot to Dance: An Old Woman's Lament

I was twenty when we met

And you were three years more.

We got married among our friends

On September twenty-four.

From that point forward our motto was

To work hard and receive

The benefits that came from work – 

To endeavour and achieve. 

You worked from dawn to dusk, and I

Keeping house, of course, saw

To the balance and the checks

That come in through our door.

You were exhausted when you got home

Each night was later still

We ne’er complained but worked to earn

The cash to pay each bill.

The balance rose and o’er the years

Five babies were our joy

We welcomed our four giggling girls

And one squirming baby boy.

Soon they were of age to help around

The house and in the store.

You trained our girls to mind the books

And our son to sweep the floor.

Day in day out, we did our bit

And fell in bed at night.

There were some times you would be so tired

You would scarce take one small bite.

As the girls got older they would beg

You to take them to the dance.

We had no time for that there or at home

We forgot our own romance.

I stand here now – a woman old

It’s been thirty years since you went

And every day I come to your grave 

With my soul all in torment

What was our mistake, my darling?

What did we do wrong?  

Our children all live happy lives

And now I scarce belong.

Maybe in securing goods to

Keep them safe and sound,

We missed the things that really matter

In between the cents and pounds.

It would not have hurt to give a little 

To, in life, take a chance…

I’m off to tell the children now – 

It’s important to work hard now-

And to give it all you’ve got now – 

But don’t forget to dance.