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Best Before My Sell By

BEST BEFORE MY SELL BY

By The Urban Poet

Aches and shakes in bones that break

Just by looking at 'em it only takes

a second to realise it's all whizzed by

In months and years it makes me cry

 

Great tears of fear and joy and pain

The cycle repeats again and again

It's not all bad though it could be worse

Like the day that cretin ran off with me purse

 

A sign of t' times the old bill said

When I reported t' robbery from me bed

It shook me up no end that did

And set me back on the dreaded cigs

 

Before too long a barking cough

Not eating well and me guts are off

Reckon I've 'ad too much on me plate but

the family say I'm past me sell buy date

 

They've been looking at a brochure you see,

of flats and Care homes near the sea

I tell 'em I'm not ready for that

They say "don't worry you'll not look back"

 

It's alright for them as they're not ailing 

Life at my age is not plain sailing

My house is my home or so I thought

It's too late now cos' it's just been bought

"Don't forget to pack me slippers"

From ‘Poetry Gold’, by ‘Rick’ Varden 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rick Varden

Thu 23rd Jan 2025 22:32

Thank you Rolph for your wonderful comments.

Rolph David

Thu 23rd Jan 2025 18:09

Rick,
Best Before My Sell By is a striking look at the unexpected ways aging can make us feel out of sync with the world around us. The humour you bring in, especially with lines like "Don't forget to pack me slippers," adds a layer of warmth to an otherwise tough situation. There's something really heartbreaking in how you capture the loss of control, both over health and home. It made me think about how easily we can feel forgotten or overlooked, even by those closest to us. Thank you for writing something so real and relatable—it’s a tough subject, but you’ve handled it with such honesty.
Stand YOUR Ground!
Take care,
regards,
Rolph

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