So Happy 75th Birthday,
That's really what these words are for,
here's to you, (NAME), you're truly wonderful,
and here's to our love, for evermore.
Mind you, Dad worked at his Kraft for 45 years,
and at his retirement party, he received many an accolade,
all his colleagues just wanted to thank him,
but we too wanted to thank him for the role that he's played.
I'm so looking forward to the adventures ahead,
and to our future stories, as yet unwritten and untold,
new careers, new homes and one day, children,
so it's with you, I'm looking forward to getting really old.
Look, I'm the maid of honor here,
and I certainly don't want to preach,
but I'm going to share a few thoughts,
and I'll try not to make this a boring old speech.
Now you both love watching your old westerns,
we know that Mom is particularly fond of John Wayne,
and it doesn't matter how many times you've seen them before,
if it's a western, you'll watch them again and again.
Now you're in your 59th year of marriage to (NAME),
and together, you've worked at your family dream,
and now, with two sons and six grandchildren later,
we're very grateful you're such a wonderful team.
And I also wanted to Happy 80th Birthday,
I guess that's really what these words are for,
here's to you, (NAME), grandmother, you're truly wonderful,
and here's to at least another eighty more!
And I'm sorry, but there's no chocolates this year,
instead, just my simple but undying words of love,
because I know that I've been blessed to have shared you,
I know that I've been blessed by the heavens above.
You love those old black and white movies,
and from Cleveland, you've travelled afar,
and I think our wedding song was simply perfect,
because you are loved: "Just the way you are"
I remember when you used to take me shopping,
and I used to get anything that my little heart desired,
you once bought me a very purple (you called it Mauve) dress,
I was about 5 years old (and of that dress, I never grew tired).
Last year I searched so many stores,
in truth, I searched long and hard, high and low,
but I ended up giving you chocolates and a card,
and now there are some things you need to know.
I remember the time when Andrea got caught smoking,
I also remember the time when she changed her lock,
she got fed up with me always borrowing her shoes,
and yes, I'll admit to borrowing the odd party frock.
You have also have attended so many dance watch nights,
dance recitals, school plays and concerts and many a basketball game,
let's not forget the soccer, baseball and of course, Amanda's softball,
if you weren't there, it just never felt the same.
However, it wasn't shining so brightly on your birthday,
if I recall (you won't remember), you were twenty one,
so wasted, you had to be carried up the stairs by a friend,
that night, certainly, your drinking days were done.
We have a 29 year difference in our age
but that has not stopped us from enjoying each other,
you're my best friend, my confidant,
you're my husband and yes, my lover.
I know we have roach problems in the summer,
in the winter we can see our breath in the shower,
and year round, having hot water is a crap shoot,
and we can get a cold drenching at any hour.
I'd also like to say Happy 75th Birthday,
I guess that's really what these words are for,
here's to you, <NAME>, you're truly wonderful,
and here's to our everlasting love, for evermore.
And (NAME) is already our squealing little baby,
he too gets excited when we have our cuddle time,
but despite us living in this crappy, old cheap apartment,
we're still finding the reason in our rhyme.
13 year old birthday party game
Copyright Allen Jesson :o) 1995-2006
www.agiftofpoetry.co.uk