Michael’s Musings

GrownUps is delighted to introduce Michael Easther – a long term newspaper columnist and poet.

Michael, at 88, is finally slowing down a little but will be contributing verses to our site. Enjoy!

Every four years the USA
Has an election, so can say
Who is the person that they feel
Should steer the Presidential wheel.
I feel quite scared to think that Trump
Might plant his fat, humongous rump
Upon that White House throne – they’d be
Much better off if Hillary
Is the next candidate to have got
That throne – mind you, she grins a lot.
All the candidates are shonky –
They need a leader like John Key!

*
A big upsurge in Alzheimer’s
Is occurring over time, as
Expectancy of life is more
Then it used to be before
And it’s a problem, so I’m told
For people who are growing old.
Quite often nowadays you see
A person who once used to be
So very capable and wise,
But sadly now you realise
The one who used his brain so well
Has turned into an empty shell.

*

My name is Michael (Don’t say, Mike!)
And all my six grandchildren like
To call me that, they would rather
Say my name and not Grandfather.
Grandad, Grandpa, Gramps – they all
Are not the names they like to call
Me. I call them by their first name,
So love it when they do the same.
When people hear it, they deride
What I was called – “Undignified”
Is what they claim. I disagree,
As Michael’s what appeals to me.

*

When World War 2 had just begun
And I was relatively young,
We feared the Nazis would drop gas
And citizens would die en masse.
That’s why authorities declared,
In order that we are prepared,
We’d all have gas masks fitted, then
We’d be protected -“if or when”.
Now here’s an interesting fact –
They feared small children might react
To wearing masks and so, instead,
They wore a Mickey Mouse’s head.

*
When I was just a youngish lad,
It was accepted all men had
To wear a tie, but I’m aghast
To find out that that habit’s passed.
Politicians of high ranking
All deserve to have a spanking –
Do they now attend a forum
Wearing ties? No! They ignore ‘em,
The reason for which, I suspect,
Is that they like shirts open-necked.
Gone are the days when we were dressed
So that we looked our very best.

*