THE AUTUMN OF LIFE

.1933 ☼ GOLDEN REMINISCING ☼ 1983

First we were neighbors, then sweethearts In the era of the three cent stamp
In the days when Hoover was president Jack Sharkey was heavyweight champ.

You were so shy and as handsome
As idols of movies and stage
Together we learned of life’s hardships Depression, hard work and low wage.

Fifteen at the start of our courtship
And slim as a willow tree,
I felt, in your arms, such contentment
I knew that was where I should be.

You walked to town after farm chores
Two miles that we each knew so well
To escort me home as protector
All fear of harm to dispel.

Then waiting, my dear, as you promised
Alongside the factory door,
My heart leaped inside as I saw you
Blending emotions unknown before.

The factory girls said, “My, how handsome,”
And sometimes with envy would stare.
But Faithful, your word had been given
Our lives, we had now pledged to share.

We trudged through the snow and the cold, dear
Some days could not have been wetter,
My hand in your hand, darling
In the pocket of your navy blue sweater.

I see your sandy hair now in its splendor
Enhanced with determined wave
Like a knight, without horse, you came calling
Smelling clean with perfumed after-shave.

Sometimes we would dance – go to movies
Once you carved our names on a tree
Little recreation was offered
But a swim in the lake was free.

Remember your dad’s twenty-eight Oakland,
Which for two-hundred buck was a steal?
The tremendous expense of the axle
When you tried me out at the wheel?

Then you moved away with your family
It was torture to see you depart
Time, passed swiftly when we were together
Without meaning when we were apart.

Nostalgic – those days you would hitch-hike
Or walk forty miles to my door
Our love was retried and retested
Like Old Faithful, your valor would soar.

Nothing on earth can replace it
Dependability at its peak
Keeping your word like a contract
Writing daily when we could not speak.

Those letters – I treasure them still, dear
Each one a jewel in your crown
How precious they were to existence
Your faith never letting me down.

We decided in spite of depression
To be married in September;
A simple rite in a humble home
Gave stability to long remember.

Do you recall the surprise shivaree
The noise as they beat on utensil?
Among gifts they gave for the kitchen
Were three rolling pins of one stencil.

Together – we sought home and heritage
Security neither had known
It was your dedication that carried us on
With ability to work, you had shown.

Like all families combating their trials
Our errors in life often varied
After disagreements and misunderstandings
We were glad to be still married.

The children came along – three boys and a girl
Found us new at the parenthood game.
We may have excelled in an area or two
But felt wanting just the same.

Remember their sweet little faces
How could they grow up so fast?
Our memories of times spent together
Reflect love and concern that will last.

With God’s help, they grew, gaining knowledge
High standards along the way
Serving their Lord in church work and missions
Their country, in Nave and Green Beret.

Then blessed with beautiful spirits
Charity, faith, hope and more
They brought us joy, grandchildren to love
Each special as the one just before.

Best actions have not always prevailed
We wish we could change this or that.
But to total the odds of fifty years wed,
Might define each a skilled diplomat.

To endure to the end, in sickness, in health
With vigor, we have set out to do
Determined to meet eternal requirements
For future togetherness too.

Lois Dahlberg