You never did as you were told.

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:20 pm

You never did as you were told.

(for Jamie)

I never told you to support Celtic,
or work part-time in Scotmid; nor
did I tell you to achieve five highers,
followed by a joint honours degree
in Spanish with Portuguese. I never

told you to live in Sao Paolo, Rio
de Janiero, London, Madrid, or
god forbid, New York. I never told
you to switch from Dow Jones to Reuters
or fall in love with Amy de Cillia,
and I never told you to marry her.

Come to think of it, what did I tell you?

Andrew.

margaret · Post by **margaret** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:26 pm

Dear Andrew,

Is this one of the poems to be performed next week at The Great Event?

I hope everything goes well

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:49 pm

Dear Margaret,
This was the left-hand side of a birthday card: the message is on the right, and the left page is usually blank.
So I wrote a birthday poem to him, on the left, of course.
He's 32.
I'm not sure about the value of this poem, but it's the first I've written which doesn't contain the definite article.

Andrew.

P.S. I wish the title was a line in the poem....maybe it's too soon to post it on the board.....

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:59 pm

Dear Andrew ~

I love your loving, proud poem to your son. Both beam from it immeasurably. It would be a lovely, verbal tribute if you could, somehow, work it in somewhere along the line when you're all gathered with a group of Jamie's friends in New York. It's really too lovely to simply remain on paper, when you'll be there for the first time ever, for a very limited time. The card would remain a reminder of a beautiful memory.

I actually like the 'surprize' point-counterpoint aspect of your poem's title and final line. I think it's great, and hope you won't change a single word of it, anywhere.

Love,
Lizzy

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:15 am

Dear Lizzy,
The counterpoint is what it's about, I think.
No, I won't change a single word of it, anywhere.
The title and the last line could be the poem.....yes!
Andrew.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:37 am

I hope it will actually end up getting read, too, Andrew

. Such a wonderful trip you have awaiting you

!

~ Lizzy

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 3:24 am

I think it's a great poem.

And I have just realised you must be in your 50s, and I have been imagining you in your 30s!

You don't write like a fifty-something!

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:53 pm

Dear Fljotsdale,
You wrote..."and I have been imagining you in your 30's. You don't write like a fifty-something" (sic).
My question is..how does a 30-something write, as opposed to a 50-something?
Or, better still, how does a 70-something write as opposed to a 20-something?
Andrew.

P.S. I couldn't resist a reference to "Let Us Compare Mythologies", which is 50 years old next year....

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:24 pm

LOL! I dunno, Andrew! Only... I think my writing voice reflects my age, and I assume the same is true of others.

I make far too many assumptions!

Andrew McGeever · Post by **Andrew McGeever** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 5:28 am

Dear Fljotsdale,
You wrote "my writing voice reflects my age, and I assume the same is true of others".
I spent some time considering your words: you've given me an unintentional reality check.

It's getting late; there are flights tomorrow, and promises to be kept.
Andrew.

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 2:08 pm

Don't let anything I say affect anything you write, Andrew. You are good. And nothing wrong with giving an impression of youth!

Good luck! Safe flight, successful reading - and have a great time!

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:25 pm

I relate to your words as my age, Andrew ~ and you just about are, so don't know what that means. But, I don't feel my age, either

~ so not sure what that means, either

.

Fljotsdale ~ I've only read the one poem of yours, so it's hard to determine your 'voice' in comparison to your age

.

~ Lizzy

Fljotsdale · Post by **Fljotsdale** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 3:49 pm

The story I entered in the competition is a sample, Lizzy - though not totally 'me'.
I'll have to post more of my stuff, won't I?

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:01 pm

Ah, yes; but, I haven't gotten there yet

. I need to keep interspersing reading with working. Do have my coffee now, though. You're right, though. Due to the nature of the comp, it'll be a not-quite.

Yes, posting more of your poetry will definitely help

.

~ Lizzy