By Jim Vardy
I was recently contacted by Jim's daughter, Denice,
to thank me for posting the reading here. She wrote:
"My co-leader and I were looking for some
program ideas and I was surprised and pleased to see the poem "A
Husband's Lament" by Jim Vardy. This poem (it was really a song) was
written by my Dad sometime in the 1980's. My mom and two of my sisters were
involved in Guiding and as you can imagine it took up a lot of time. Dad also
helped out getting ready for camps and anything else Mom needed done. My dad
passed away on Feb 22, 2002 and it was really great to see his poem is
still around being enjoyed by others."
Thanks very much to Luanne Taylor, who posted
this poem to the Guide Mailing List.
Bingo and "Another World" my wife always
avoids,
But I'm stuck with something just as bad, since she
got in the Guides.
From September until June, it's meetings all the
time;
She then starts getting ready, 'cause Camp is next
in line.
The Guides have lots of meetings to pass away a night,
And just to pass away a day, they all go on a hike.
Then when there are no camps or hikes or meetings to
attend,
The unit will get together for a sleep-in.
Sometimes I'll say unto my wife, "let's go out for awhile."
I know exactly what she'll say when I see that
greasy smile---
"Sorry but I've got to go to Austin's or to
Lloyd's,
'Cause me and Blanche and Helen got a meeting for
the Guides."
Then when they have a meeting and supper time comes around,
God knows what you'll get to eat---you may not get
it down.
It's cooked in such a hurry, it just doesn't turn
out right;
She's always got the same excuse---"there's a
Guide meeting tonight."
In June she rolls out her sleeping bag, and then she packs her kit;
She picks up little crafts she's got for the camping
trip.
She says, "'twill soon be over now, 'cause
camping is the end";
But I know that come September, it will all start up
again.
Sometimes I grumble with her, and say: "It's gone to far,
Half the time you're not at home and I don't know
where you are."
She just says "I'm going to go and come when I
decide---
You can grumble all you like; I gotta go to
Guides."
She goes to all the things they have no matter what I say;
I guess that she'll be in the Guides until her dying
day.
Now if she goes before me and I am left to mourn,
I'll send her like she's used to going---
IN HER GIRL GUIDE UNIFORM!
