2015 ADVENTURE – ELVA’S POEM

Discoveries on This Journey

 

 

Like the birds, we love warmer winters

In 2014, we enjoyed exploring Central America

This year, with our new friends, Dave and Donna

Discovering Southeast Asia together

Are fond memories we’ll treasure forever 

On this long voyage at sea

We feel we belong to a community

Sur notre chemin nous avons rencontré

          Fleurette et Gilles

François, Diane

          Jeannine et Renaud

          Outgoing and very friendly

They share their traveling experiences willingly

When we’re ‘out and about’

          We welcome their company 

We met Father Lou on this trip

In his seventies

Retired from a career in a Michigan diocese

Still very active in his vocation

He’s the priest on our  ship

He takes initiative and has daily duties

As a fellow traveler

He talks and shares with everyone

In the dining room, on excursions

At lectures and movies

He’s very knowledgeable, has many interests

Is sympathetic, observant and nice

His  expertise and  presence

All add to our vacation 

The PowerPoint lectures are must-sees

The ‘Behaviour of Animals’

One of the topics has confirmed

That watching others is the way animals learn

For us human beings

That strategy can also be helpful

Many animals are social and playful

And so are we! 

After this great presentation

We spent more time observing

As soon as we exit

The ship

Out come the laptops, tablets and smartphones

Is there wi-fi?  How did you log in?

What’s the password, asks ‘Tit Casse?

In today’s society

This is how one conversation may begin

Naturally 

Some women spend their entire day

By the pool: sitting, sleeping, eating

At the other extreme is the vegetarian

Very fussy, she picks at everything

As lifestyles go, neither inspires me 

          Other passengers

Remind us of Les Gens de par chez-nous

They even have their features

Gus à Clovis, André à Jos Cannon

Félix the Cat and Jéhanne

Even Jack Barlow, dead forty years

          Isn’t it fascinating

How we can associate, learn and discover by being

Attentive to our surroundings 

The library is one place we like to be

It has the ambiance of a big family room

Many sitting areas, you see

But none with a big-screen TV 

This is where one morning

Jean-Paul took the opportunity

To chat with a lady he’d been admiring

“I know she’s in her eighties”

He told me one afternoon

“She could be on her second honeymoon

Elle est un peu grassette

But do you see how well she dresses?”

I agreed

She was still sexy

She was a pearl indeed! 

She was in the library

Accompanied by her romantic husband

They were from Holland

Had 4 children and 11 grandchildren

Were on holiday

And enjoying one another’s company

This lovely couple

Surely a role model 

Right away

I figured out this women’s recipe

If blessed to live ‘til 80

          Taking care of myself

Having a nice wardrobe with bright outfits

To keep learning and be fit

Need to be priorities

As for Jean-Paul, I hope

          He’ll remember that romantic gentlemen

From Holland

And NEVER EVER wear a Speedo 

Being in better shape is on my agenda

On sea days I’m at the gym

After a good workout

On the bicycle and elliptical

Already in my golden years

A short siesta

In mid- afternoon might be ok

However

I much prefer

A delicious snack and a cup of tea

To recharge my battery 

As members of the Mariner Society

Our time is spent learning, exploring, reading

Exercising, relaxing, discussing and laughing

Cruising in the warm waters

Every day is exciting

What a fantastic adventure!