Part I

To come to visit was my desire,
But a Passport I did lack.
I thought it simple to achieve,
But they threw my application back.

“We need your Birth Certificate,
Without it, a Passport ? No!!”
But I’d never had me one of those,
So now where could I go ?

I was told I should return
To the country I was born.
North Western France, to be exact.
Or to London, to get a form.



I was born in Wartime,
With my family on the run.
Escaping from the Germans.
Mama said it was no fun !

My Mama went into labour,
At the roadside I arrived.
Papa did panic, “Hurry ! Move !
They’re not so far behind.”

So I was never Registered,
No Certificate came to me.
Without one was no Passport,
Would America I ever see ?

I went to Registry Offices,
Some many miles from here.
In one I wasn’t laughed at,
In fact, she was quite a dear.

She listened to my story,
With a face filled with sympathy,
She said, “It seems you really don’t exist,
So let me see what I can see.”



She took down all my details,
Smiling, now and then, at me.
Then, with a face beautifully beaming,
Held out a paper for me to see.

My legs gave way as I thanked her,
I could hardly speak for the tears.
In my hands was a Birth Certificate.
Now I existed, after 64 years !!

So I hugged this wonderful lady,
( Her eyes weren’t exactly dry ),
I would send this off the next morning,
Knowing I’d get here to say “Hi !!”



Part II

Well, here I am ....... I made it !
Oh, you wouldn't believe the stress !!!
I apologise to my close friends,
Whom I put under awful duress.

They had to promise to hide it,
The fact that I hoped to be here.
For I wasn't sure I could make it,
'Cos my heritage wasn't so clear.



It was murder getting a Passport !
Getting it delivered was even worse.
The Mailman sent it off elsewhere,
Then the Courier must have been cursed.


But my Passport finally reached me,
Just days before I should leave,
To say I panicked is understated,
To miss you would have made me grieve.



But...... I made it !! Hallelujah !!
Roughly 6,000 miles I have come.
To be with you all, my dear friends.
Now I feel as if I've come home !

xxx Thank you xxx

Amy Hollesley © April, 2005

Oh and Ms. Amy you know our poet's retreat would not have been the same without you.
We all love you dearly and we just had to meet!
Oh my dear thank YOU!

 

Need help sending this page? Click Here