My Life In An Eggshell: November 2009

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

And so, the end of an era RIP little Buster

How incredibly sad was Monday's (23/11/09) Paul O'Grady Show? You could see how hard it was for Paul to do it but he did himself, and little Buster proud and you know what? I don't blame him one little bit for losing it briefly at the end, before the tribute to Buster, because I did too.

It's at sad times like this that I feel the need to write something, and I hope I've done the little guy justice because, having lost a treasured companion myself, also at age 14 I know exactly what it is like to have your companion with you one minute and the next he or she is gone.

This is called Old Friend.

Old Friend

Goodbye old friend
we’ve come to the end
of the roads we travelled together
those that were fun
and those that were none of
the glorious days of summer
those twisted and turned
the ones that burned in our memories
long and forever
the calming and cold
the unerringly bold
gave us stories, well some can be told
the others we’ll keep
until outwards they seep
in my tears which I cry for you now
such a painful goodbye
till the day that I die
that moment is with me forever

Now each road that I travel
I travel alone
nothing will ever replace
that small tiny face
the one that I trace
in my thoughts, my dreams and my prayers
my other companions
try as they might
will do what they can to console
but you were my first
unconditional love
the one that I treasured bar none
they know you’re not there
and I know that they care
and are wondering where you have gone
so we keep each one close
till the time we repose
and are all together again.

© silversapphire 241109

© silversapphire 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

This Poppy. A Remembrance Day Poem by SilverSapphire

Two years ago, I wrote this poem which, truthfully, had been a bugger of a thing to write. It had been going round in my head for 18 months prior to it being born on paper, and was eventually published in 2007. It started out as a poem for my late father who served in WW2 and who died in the 1980's age 57! but I want to dedicate it tonight to all of those servicemen and women who are still serving and to those who have fallen in wars (some which should never be fought; you know the one I mean).

I wear my poppy with pride every year as I have done since childhood. My dad was also in the Royal British Legion and so I was immersed in the history and reasons behind Remembrance Day since as long ago as I can remember.

So, if you will permit me, I'd like to present it here today in preparation for Remembrance Sunday 2009.

This Poppy

This Poppy fell for my father
it does so every year
and with it comes the heartache
and many red hot tears

Shed for those who won’t come home
the ones who died out there alone

This Poppy falls in remembrance,
it’s impossible to say
how much we owe to those who fell
they fought for us, they died for us
through a living man made hell

This Poppy fell for a reason
yet its message is always lost
on those who should know better
those who never count the cost

This Poppy falls to remind us
of the sacrifices made
it’s not some casual observance
it’s not just a parade

It’s a deep and heartfelt tribute
to those faultless memories
of those who gave the only thing
they could to make us free

And to those who should know better
and we all know who they are
In remembering those
who fell in war

I won’t betray their memory
I won’t give up my liberty.

© silversapphire 2009

Bonfire Night, Scaredy Dogs, Birthdays & Remembrance Day

I know November 5th was a few days ago but round here, the local youths think it better to keep a few back to set off outside people's homes. Usually at 1.30am and they do this because they know a) Police won't get near 'em in time to tell 'em off and b) Because they can! Upshot of all this is dear old doggie gets very uptight over it (no, not worth bothering rewriting Uptown Girl by the ever wonderful Mr Joel to the words of Uptight Dog) suffice to say that as he's getting older he's getting more scared and I have no idea why, he was fine in his youth but not now. Some expert or other says it's because their hearing is way more sensitive than ours (yep, dog owners usually know this) will ever be and I agree, to a point. His hearing has not become more acute as he's gotten older, I would assume it would be like ours - ie, getting duller as we age - not so apparently. Poor guy sits down, walks around and lies down looking very down in the mouth, ears back and panting and won't sit near us (as if he thinks we are the architects of all this noise somehow) and if he thinks that, then he's way too clever for his own good, over analyzing things never helps and yes, he is a border collie but he can be so stupid at times he gives his breed a bad name (but that's an entirely new blog).

I've been watching The Dog Whisperer when the mood takes me, and he advises that you don't pet the animal when it is fearful because it's just reinforcing the behaviour and as it feeds the insecurity, it makes it right in the dogs mind that being fearful is a good thing. I knew that from ages back when I read up on it (not a total dunce ya see) as to why dogs and cats should not be encouraged in scared and fearful behaviour, because isn't it the first thing we want to do when we see an animal in distress? We want to cuddle it and speak soothingly - NO, it's all wrong I hear DW cry. By not giving affection when the noises start is meant to make the animal see it's ok and not to be worried, well Cesar Millan, it's not working with my old guy, he just hates the noise. He even dislikes high winds and lightning so I think the next step is noise aversion therapy (thank you nods to BBC's 'The One Show' for that) whereby you play a disc or a tape of thunderstorms/fireworks etc (not at the same time obviously) at a level where the dog (or other worried animal) notices the noise but does not become fearful of it. Having it on in the background makes the dog comfortable with it eventually, and hopefully it will get rid of the anxiety associated with fireworks etc.

I'm no killjoy by any means but I do think fireworks (or mortar bombs as they are round here) should be sold just for displays (like the one across from me right now in the local school, big bonny and everything (bonny is a scouse (Liverpudlian) term for bonfire, and if you didn't know already I am a scouser born & bred). Big red fire engine comes and makes sure bonny is out properly before they all go home. Thankfully, it's all over in about two hours and once the bonnies out, it's not so bad, unless the wind is blowing the smoke all over the place and into the houses opposite (ie MINE!). Being asthmatic, smoke inhlataion of any sort is not a nice thing Mr School Caretaker Sir!.

And now, the bit I'm dreading ... tomorrow, I reach a birthday of a certain age (no, not that one - the next one) and I'm not looking forward to it at all, but as there's nothing I can do about it, just have to accept it and move gracefully on. Someone told me earlier this week: "To embrace it" - oh yeah, that'd work! Just imagine me walking down the high street 'embracing my birthday of a certain age' - I'd get locked up!

Other half took me out to the local eatery today for lunch. Usually it's quiet and peaceful on a Saturday lunchtime but, well, you know my life; yep it was heaving. The table they had for us was right in front of the open fire (which was nice to see but not right in front of it) and so I refused it because I'd melt. We sat in the bar and had lovely food, I had a prawn cocktail (being a child of the '70's, it never leaves you that) and a minted lamb steak in a red wine gravy (what they didn't tell you was they emptied half a packet of paprika all over the plate in an effort to make it look all arty and stuff). I asked them to get me one without half a ton of paprika on it and they did, and then we had new york cheesecake. But I don't feel so good after it, so hope the chef didn't put anything else in the other dish that he shouldn't as you do hear things of what certain chefs do to food that is sent back! I wasn't just being awkward you see as I have an allergy to peppers and paprika and I'm reacting now, my face is so hot I could go out and be the bonfire myself- ah well Happy Birthday eh?

As well as being my birthday tomorrow, it is also Remembrance Sunday (being the closest Sunday to Nov 11th) and I am honoured that this year it falls on my day. The Service of Remembrance is also on BBC1 tonight at 9.15pm for 1.5 hours! I say 1.5 hours with an exclamation mark because anyone who is the same age and/or older than me will remember back to the 1970's and '80's when there was a whole Festival of Remembrance on the Saturday night before Nov 11th - always! It wasn't a paltry hour and a half of singing and marching, no, it was a full evening of military and gymnastic displays by the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF along with, marches, music, prayers, singing and honouring the fallen with the poppies falling at the end of the evening. Now, it seems Strictly Come Dancing and Meat Market sorry, X Factor, are way more important than remembering the lives of those serviceman and women who gave their lives to let us all live in the relative peace and ahem, security we are allotted by the great and good (if any exist) in the EU!