POEMS    HOME

    Long, long ago, in a most ancient time,
    Our mother was born on the earth.
    Think of the changes that have come to pass
                           In the great many years since her birth!

Even though dinosaurs pre-dated Mom,
And weren’t to her time period linked.
In her seventy years, I am sure are quite 
A few species that did go extinct.

Seventy years – can you please tell us, Mom,
What folks did back then to have fun?
TV was just in its mere infancy
And color shows had not begun.

Moveable type was invented, I guess,
So I suppose people could read.
And automobiles were invented, I guess,
Although they weren’t yet "up to speed".

Computers weren’t here, though, or big shopping malls.
Electronic games were not played.
And so our poor Mom, she just had to stay home
Where she studied and make real good grades.

It’s no wonder, though, that her grades were so good,
For a major in history she’d get,
And you surely see, back when she went to school,
Not much history had happened quite yet.

Now we are not saying that Mom isn’t bright,
For we all know our mother ain’t dense,
But things that we studied in our history class,
In her day were current events.

Now, please don’t get mad, Mom, for we speak in jest.
We say all of this in good fun.
Seventy’s youthful and not old at all –
(Compared with - let’s say - ninety-one!)

So have a good birthday – rejoice and enjoy.
Ignore this quite stupid, dumb rhyme!
‘Cause I am so mean that I fear that I may
Just make you get old ‘fore your time.