Evening shadows softly fall
Over my garden fair
I sit alone with only memories
And wish that you were here
So well do I recall and can scarcely keep back a sigh
At the words you spoke so long ago
God bless you dear - Good-bye.

Though voices sweet may charm the ear
And beauty charm the eye
There’s one sweet voice I’ll nev’r forget
It will live with me forever
With a fond embrace, she whispered low
God bless you dear - Good-bye.

When the long long day is ended
Light fades from the darkening sky
These words I send on the whispering breeze
God bless you dear - Good-bye.

No matter how sad my heart may be
No matter how deep the sigh
In fancy again, I’ll hear you say
God bless you dear - Good-bye.

Though our lives are far apart
Dear God stands ever nigh
And will dry the tears of those who hear
God bless you dear - Good-bye.

The hour has come and we must part
I’ll whisper a fond adieu
In simple words right from my heart
Good bye and God bless you.

Oh I am a top
And I want you to know
I keep spinning
Wherever I go,
So round and
Round and
Round again
It’s a giddy life
and a giddy game.

A hot water bottle
Yes, that’s what I am
I keep folks warm
Whenever I can
When weather is stormy
And as cold as ice
And gales seem to grasp one
As in a cruel vice
Then heat up some water
Fill me up nice and full
When you take me to bed
You’ll no longer be cool

A blithesome little birdie
One sunny day in spring
Sought to charm his lady love
And so began to sing
Ah - - - - (ad lib)

The song he warbled merrily
Was echoed far and wide
His lady love, she heard it
And came flying to his side
Ah - - - - (ad lib)

Sing on ye happy birdie
A merry roundelay
I will cheer the tired wanderer
Along his merry way.

 It’s a stupid thing to do I know
To forget such an important date
But the old adage is still good today
Better too soon than late
So birthday greetings I now send
To dear Doreen and little Ann
Am so sorry to have mixed the dates
Please forgive me if you can
In July there are two birthdays
A mother and her child
I have forgotten which comes first
And this makes me very wild

We are coming to see you
As fast as we can
We have no car -
Nor have we a van
This nice little hen house
Will have to do
We are on our way
And will soon see you
The birds will be singing
The cocks all a-crow
So we shall have music
Wherever we may go
Please go to no bother
And make no fuss
We shall be in time
For a good Christmas

 Off came another garment
Into a corner he did fling it
Then from the goods he had just bought
He donned the nice clean singlet
It’s just the unexpected
That may fill us with alarm
But often more amusing
And never does us harm
Having read as far as this
What I said before is true
I lead a humdrum sort of life
So no news from me to you
Thank you for your letter dear
And the kind things you have said
Snippets that I’ve found enclosed
And with interest I have read
And so I’ve come to end this rhyme
I wish it had been better
I hope you’ll think it a novel way
To answer your welcome letter.

Are your expectations running high?
Well, the inks run out and so have I
But a rhyme of sorts I’ll have to quote
So down I sit my brow I’ll smote
The words run riot they’re just a jumble
But from my pen they will not tumble
So I wish you well this Christmastide
And from poor Bob you must not hide
A pup you know is no substitute
No matter how funny or droll or cute
So perhaps this card will help you
You may be feeling shy
And we’ll hear bells a ringing
In the sweet by - and bye.

My thoughts turn back to the garden fair
Tis the sweetest place I know
Where hours of Golden youth soon fled
So many years ago.
And in that garden of old world flowers
And lilac bushes tall
My mother often would linger there
The dearest flower of all
I called her my Lilac Lady
In those happy fleeting days
And her smile was sweet
Tho her eyes held tears
At my childish loving praise
My Lilac Lady I love you so
Oh could those dear dead days return.

This introduces Maurice with sad and tragic air
Who recites about the trees, there - there - and there
He’s not always mournful, but its essential don’t you see
When he tells the sordid story about the trees three
He’s really quite jolly, as you all well know
And is greeted with smiles where ‘ere he may go
Now if you want a cobber, perky and bright
Link arms with Maurice you’ll find he’s all right.

Yes! Now we have Albert, all gaze your fill
He holds the title of Lord Crighton still
This same gentleman, as you all do know
Did wonderful deeds in the long long ago
He wields the axe and he wields the knife
Fact, he’s wielded these implements all his life
He’s looked for a change and he’s looked in vain
For Christmas comes again and again
Any folks sitting round who are kindly disposed
Will they take on his job, ‘ere he turns up his toes.

Like the radiant sun, shining over the sea
Is our own dear George, always happy and free
He will sing you a song, or dance you a measure
His delight is to give other people some pleasure
So when you feel blue or down in the dumps
Just send for George Morris, he’s the real King of Trumps

She is everybody’s darling
She is everybody’s pet
Of course you all do know her
Though her name is not mentioned yet
She is like a dancing sunbeam
Flitting o’er the grass
And Frances Dulcie May Pye
Is the name of this wee lass.

She is full of tricks with her manner so gay
She was born in the beautiful month of May
Now scratch your heads, till you rake it out
And find whom this little verse is about
I’ll end the suspense, though it’s as plain as can be
The lady I mean is our own Elsie

Cyril is charming and Cyril is fair
He’s just the one, if a girl is there
When the gentle breezes sigh
And the moon shines o’er the sea
He’ll squeeze her hand and say
"You’re just the girl for me"

Our dear little Mum, has trotted along
To grace our Christmas table
She is looking so pretty, while the clever and witty
Crack jokes - at least - those who are able
She smiles at their efforts, in her own winning way
She’s a bundle of smiles on this Christmas day

Now this is for Jim who is rather thin
Though his vocabulary is quite pretty
If the pen he takes, the muse then wakes
And his writings are really witty
He will write of flowers, of love and lovers
And a charmer, whom we call Betty
But there’s a word that jars, so look out for spares
If you even whisper the word confetti

Have you ever found a nugget? I haven’t tis quite plain
But Willie did some time ago, perhaps he will again
A nugget is a handy thing when one is on the rocks
But the only nugget ever I see, is what comes in a box
Still, Willie is a lucky lad with a bright and happy manner
A nugget and a wife he’ll find, when he settles up with Hannah.

With thoughtful brow and saddened eye
He enjoys the children’s teasing
He will tell them stories by and by
All funny and so pleasing
He’ll join in all their games or sport
With no fears of Mrs Grundy
This gentleman the children love
They call him Mr Mundy

A wild wet night and the pelting rain
Driving hard against the window pane
Clouds torn asunder by lightning’s sword
And the booming thunder is clearly heard
Trees bend to the storm in its raging might
God help the sailors at sea this night
More lightening flashes and rivers of rain
And heavens Artillery is heard again
Frantic the storm is growing
And the wind shrieks wild and high
Branches from sturdy trees are torn and they go hurtling by
Like furies let loose to do their worst
In this beautiful world that now seems cursed
And our prayers go up to a God of Peace
Asking his aid that the storm shall cease
A far away rumble of thunder, A last bright flash o’er the hill
The rain is softly falling and the wind has ceased to thrill
For its force is spent and the storms passed on
And we wake to the dawn of a wonderful calm

Tis only a small gift Goughie
But the tales it could unfold
Of the roar of the mighty ocean
And of pirates bad and bold
Of whales and sharks and finny things
And mermaids there as well
Of Davy Jones’ locker
And his friends who’ve gone to ____
!!!!!!! Tut, tut I nearly said it
Though I know what’s in your mind
But try a little rhythm
You’ll never know until you try!!

How sadly we gathered around her bed
For she was far from old
It was hard to believe she was brought to this pass
Through having neglected a cold
She slowly spoke these words to us
My friends, (and no words could be truer)
When any of you feel a cold coming on
Take Woods Great Peppermint Cure.

She was going to a fancy ball
And would be the belle, I’m told
But a week before the eventful day
She caught a dreadful cold.
This did not worry her at all
For she was so very sure
That she would be quite fit for the ball
She took Woods Great Peppermint Cure

How often we sit in the twilight musing of other scenes
And how our fairy castles have been built on idle dreams
And while we sit there thinking we feel a sudden chill
We rise in haste and go indoors for fear we should take ill
Then shiver after shiver runs up and down the spine
All at once it dawns on us to take this warning in time
We straight away to a chemist go one reliable and sure
And in decided voice we ask for Woods Great Peppermint Cure.

A sniff, a sneeze then comes the wheeze
Which settles on the chest
Bells ring in the ears eyes moist with tears
Oh what’s to done for the best?
Why in a trice if you take this advice
These pains you’ll not long endure
Now the name of this remedy I ask you to get
Is Woods Great Peppermint Cure.

We’re having a very strange season
Neither Summer, Winter nor Spring
For coughs and colds, and attendant ills
Are now quite the usual thing
For those who have these troubles
They need not long endure
The wisest thing for them to do
Is to take Woods Great Peppermint Cure.