By Marilyn Jones, Schoolcraft’s Poet Laureate
Don’t begrudge another birthday
Be thankful that you can still get around,
See the azure sky, hear a bird sing
Appreciate every little, remarkable thing.
The year that I turned eighty
I was feeling kind of blue,
Writing a letter to God, my request
Was for more years (just a few).
My goal was for age ninety, when
There will be nothing left to say,
But can you guess who lied?
There’s writing to do, every day.
My birthdays have been memorable
Almost every year was great,
In 1994 my kids took me to the Bahamas;
I parasailed, high in the sky
An adventure I’d always wanted to try.
At Atlantis in 2005, we swam with the dolphins
The Caribbean was turquoise blue,
It was all so fantastic there
The straw-market was special too.
On my 90th, we had a big party
The church was decorated like a beach theme,
More than 100 people came that day
My girls served Boonzaaijer cakes and ice-cream.
Those years flew by fast, it seems
I’m the girl that always said, “Yes, I’m ready,”
God let me see my grandchildren grow
When He knocks on my door, I’ll now say …
“No, I’m still not ready to go!”
For my 96th, my friends threw a party
I was surprised, all right!
A barbershop quartet even came and sang
I went to bed with a big grin that night.
This year may be a bit quiet
I’ve had my share of fun,
Whatever lies ahead, I’ll be grateful
This year, 2023, could be a favorite one.
