You know when you are growing up
The stages you go through
Make you the way you are
They help to make you...YOU
The people who you deal with
Whether family or your friends
Are very influential
And they're with you 'till the end
But little things they tell you
Might get on your last nerve
You know you sometimes hate them
And it's not something they deserve
I miss my Grandad fiercely
Now, more than before
I wish I'd listened closely
And I wish I'd listened more
You know the tales that old folks tell
The one's we love to hate
Like "you've not got it hard boy"
"You've got it ****** great"
We all know about the walk to school
The uphill walk both ways
About how they only had an orange
And it had to last four days
You know they meant the best for you
But, that's not how it came off
You'd love to go and visit
But, you also loved to scoff
Times were always harder then
You never knew what you had
At least that was the feeling
That I got from my Grandad
They all got married younger
They were stronger in their minds
We were lazy, non-commital
To hard work, we were blind
So, every time a visit
Came around, I'd ask to stay
I'd rather be at home alone
Than with Grandad for the day
But, one day changed my feelings
I learned what Grandad was about
When I went there for a visit
And my Grandad took me out
We went out for a road trip
That my parents did allow
And that road trip still stays with me
My eyes were opened....wow!
He knew I would have rather
Stayed at home and not been there
But, I went out for my parents
And he knew I didn't care
First he took me to a building
"I'm just here to quaff a brew
And while I'm sitting with my cronies
There's something you must do."
I didn't know it was a legion
And he handed me a book
He said this was a memoriam
And that I should have a look
Each face I saw stare back at me
Had died before their time
They went to fight for freedom
Not just theirs, but yours and mine
Mere children when you think back now
And how they went to war
They would forever be this young
And would not age forever more
Grandad said, "We're going"
"We have another stop"
And it was at this destination
That the other penny dropped
He took me to a statue
In the park, so resilute
It was stone and bronze and copper
And my Grandad did salute
The cenotaph he called it
I'd not heard that name before
He said it was a monument
To those who'd gone before
The names and the young faces
That I'd seen that afternoon
Were honored by this edifice
That stood like a Roman Ruin
"Each town" he said gave their young men
To make sure Freedom reigned
"And each Legion has a book like ours
So we don't forget their names"
I stepped back from the statue
that honored our towns dead
He said, "do not salute"
"you can stand and bow your head"
That day, My Grandad reached out
And he made me understand
All those things he'd told me
And what it takes to be a man
Now, years have passed and he is gone
I miss him every day
"We walked up hill both ways to school"
I'd love to hear him say
Forty years have come and gone
Now, I'm a Grandad too
I've two grandkids I'd love to see
And, I hope they'd love to see me too
But, just like me when I was young
They want to live their life
They'd rather spend time with their friends
Than with their Grandad and his wife.
My son dropped by the other day
And the kids came to say hi
I'd love to see them more than this
And that's the reason why
I loaded up the car with them
"I' won't be long my dear"
"We're just off for a short road trip "
"Just to go and have a beer"
She smiled, she knew the reason
And I know that she is glad
For I want them to be proud of me
Like I was, my Old Grandad.
I don't have any grand dads left. Both are passed on. I don't remember my Grand Dad Turner, he passed in 1970, I think. I still miss my Grand Dad Howe, who my Mum has many fond stories of.
