Rain check

 

Chic Eleanor , stood me up yesterday 
Well technically she did send me an apology by text but as I’d left my phone in Bluebell and forgot where I’d put it, things got all a bit complicated.
Suffice to say I had a KFC supper in a car park , lol
I had wondered if she’d bail, as when I went out with my family on Tuesday night she was there with the girls, and by the look of said girls who had all flopped in front of the restaurant open fire  , lots and lots  of Christmas Prosecco had been quaffed 
“ Darling John”  Eleanor called out flapping her pashmina over her shoulder and she hurried over to give me a big beautifully coiffured hug, much to the surprise of my family who had never seen me , deep in the clutches of such a stylish matron before.
Her resulting hangover had lasted over 24 hours


So I stayed in and cried at The Repair Shop and felt sorry for myself 

Off to work today, bucket of coffee and barabrith at the kitchen table 

This poem was written by Hattie 
It is about choirmaster Jamie ( and his 1940 RAF moustache) 
It describes so well why I love choir and I’m so looking forward in returning in the new year

Jamie

Dashing moustache, a rainbow flash,
Flamingo stance - what a catch!

Spiralling here and there, flailing his arms,
Always a grin - it's part of his charms

He somehow herds us, there's never any fuss,
only grace and fun and the occasional SHUSHH!

Māori, Welsh, Ukrainian, Russian,
What's coming next? Oh yes - a concussion!

On rare occasions he grants our wish,
What a treat! we say, to sing in English

He works us so hard: Stand up! Sit down!   
It's just like a workout! (it makes the men frown)

What fun we have all because of you,
Your dance moves and songs have us boogying too.

Altos, tenors, basses and sops,
We all think you're splendid, Yep, you're the tops!

A nod to absent friends in a moment of clarity,
They will always be part of our choir family.

You give us a safe space to feel what we feel,
Allowing us to mourn, but mainly, to heal.

We take within us this place you have built,
It’s a home you've created, One that will never wilt.

So here's to you our one and only chappy,
JAMIE, simply put - You make us HAPPY!

Hattie, with love, 2023©

 

53 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:45 am

    Wow. That sums up exactly why I love my choir. A place to heal. Thank you. Athene

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Deep in the clutches of such a stylish matron". Sigh... Stood up by Chic Eleanor? - lol, I'd have been distraught! I'm sure she'll make it up to you - sans hangover. Jamie with his handlebar mustache and nurse Hattie are quite the village characters; nice poem. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never mind me old son , you can dream x

      Delete
  3. I hope chic Eleanor's head is feeling better and you can have that date. That poem paints such a picture, I feel I know Jamie! No wonder you love choir, such lovely people. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they are , they reminded me of the bake off contestants
      Nicenpeople

      Delete
  4. You thought she'd forgotten because she was boozed up the night before, and instead you were the one who had did the forgetting. Ironic.

    "...much to the surprise of my family who had never seen me , deep in the clutches of such a stylish matron before."

    That's funny. I wish someone had snapped a picture, of both you and Eleanor, and your stunned family. Oh, well, your description will do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol yes Kirk , my family were quite astounded lol

      Delete
  5. What a dear poem.

    What did we do before mobile phones? Oh, that's right. We got stood up. At least it was by a stylish woman in a pashmina -- with a hangover.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ooh, hangovers are hard to deal with after a certain age, I feel for her. Long gone are the days when we could party till 2am and then be up and ready for work at 7am ... albeit with a banging headache.

    Love the poem. ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes
      The older we get the harder it is to cope with a hangover

      Delete
  7. Oh dear, hard to be chic with a hangover. Don't peak behind the curtain!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Not so Chic after all! You were Jilted John.
    As for Hattie's poem - it's pretty good. I would give it a "B". It just needs a bit more polish to get some smoother rhymes in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It won’t be for the first time YP LOL XX

      Delete
  9. That's such a nice tribute to Jamie.
    Even if she was massively drunk the night before, Shuggie Bain's mother always managed to look glamourous the next day. Just maybe not chic.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sing with all of your heart and soul, enjoy and embrace all that life brings.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous12:39 pm

    Hattie is a true poet. Something that is a natural gift and cannot be learned. Hope you and E can enjoy some time together in the future. Jackie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She paints well and sings beautifully too

      Delete
  12. We are all human and it seems Chic E has fallen from her pedestal (at least a tiny bit). Hattie writes well and her poetry about Jamie is outstanding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, I think she’s allowed a hangover xx

      Delete
  13. What a sweet poem for Jamie! I wish I could join his choir! Poor Eleanor! Hope you have time to reschedule your date!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What an absolutely marvelous poem to Choirmaster Jamie! And oh dear, brain cramps for Chic Eleanor, too bad it scuttled your date.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m glad Eleanor has enough chutzpah to to get pissed once in a while xx

      Delete
  15. Krayolakris2:23 pm

    What a perfectly lovely ode!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hattie wins major points for rhyming "Russian" and "concussion"! Too bad about your outing with Chic Eleanor but you've got to allow a girl her recovery time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. sillygirl3:35 pm

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DuB8qilWaU found this just now that all your commenters as well as you will enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The singing was good , not sure about the dancing xx

      Delete
  18. Shame you missed out on a Christmas get together with Chic Eleanor .... I'm sure she will make it up to you in the New Year John. Hattie has written a wonderful poem and paints a picture in words of Choirmaster Jamie. There are some very talented people out there. XXXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will pop around tomorrow with her gift

      Delete
  19. Hattie's poem is great! I especially like:
    You give us a safe space to feel what we feel,
    Allowing us to mourn, but mainly, to heal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That bit caught me too, that’s what happened to me when I joined

      Delete
  20. Barbara Anne4:01 pm

    What a wonderful poem Hattie wrote about Jamie! It should be framed and hung where it makes him happy to see it.
    Ouch! Sorry about Chic Eleanor's lingering hangover.
    I keep my cell phone in my pocket or in my hand, learned when my in-laws were in poor health and lived next door.
    I often cry at The Repair Shop, too, as those talented craftsmen and women fix beloved items so beautifully.
    Hope your work shifts will be calm and bright.

    Sorry for going on and on ... too much coffee!

    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just what I need tonight,but I’m having a very large Bombay sapphire

      Delete
  21. Thank you for sharing Hattie's warm, delightful, and evocative poem!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous6:47 pm

    Lovely poem by Hattie! I can see why you all really look forward to choir.

    So disappointing you didn’t have your Christmas evening with Eleanor. Hope she feels better soon and you can rearrange something.
    MarisAna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m sure we will catch up very soon

      Delete
  23. I’ve come home after a particularly full on day at work , to see a debate who is the troll.
    Im asking generally for the troll whoever they are to please stop, . It needs to stop
    It has no value and no purpose

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’ve deleted the relevant posts

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:33 pm

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  24. Lovely poem!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous4:03 am

    Thank you for the mass choir vid. Very powerful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:04 am

      Sine Robertson - didn’t mean to be Anon!

      Delete
  26. Anonymous4:07 am

    Sorry, wrong post please delete my comments!

    ReplyDelete

I love all comments Except abusive ones from arseholes