My old friend may not know me.
Fate for him has not been kind.
Dementia it seems has trapped
This once dynamo deep in his mind. .
We met at Good Farmer Jack's and
Before that tennis session's end
Over a shared illicit Woodbine
Regarded the other as best friend.
We played skiffle, discovered Country
Saw Buddy Holly, and many more
Over those first years every girl
Bring fiercely competed for.
University attracted him
And there he met his wife.
I took a very different path
When i opted for Army life.
Over many years our friendship lasted
And as we knew each other longer
In spite of very different lives
It seemed to grow even stronger.
Reunions, gatherings, concerts,
Over decades of passing years
Looking backwards and forwards
Righting the world over copious beers.
Latterly reduced to the Birthday call
In spite of differing life styles,
Our friendship survived it all.
This year, the phone unanswered,
I knew something must be wrong.
I eventually traced him.
Surprisingly it didn't take long.
My old friend who loved the country,
Where he'd so loved to roam
With his two Bearded Collie dogs
Now confined to a care home.
They do not think he will remember,
Think it would be more kind
If instead of going to see him
I keep him safely in my mind,
Where we still play our skiffle,
Sing the harmonies once more,
Still love country music and
Each girlfriend competed for.
Over more than sixty years
Our friendship has carried on.
Things today may have changed
But it's certainly not yet gone.
These days I may struggle to recall
Things that happened just yesterday
But my memories are still so vivid
Of those shared times so far away.
