Year of Jubilee - by AJ "Mac" McIntyre

[Shelley Hansen]

As part of our writing workshop in this forum, I recently posted a poem by the late AJ "Mac" McIntyre, a local poet whose work influenced me greatly in my young days. Mac has been gone for around 30 years now. His poems used to grace our local newspaper back in the days when newspapers ran a weekly "Poetry Corner".

The response to that particular poem has prompted me to post another "Mac" poem. This is my favourite, which I still love to read and re-read. Mac wrote both serious and humorous verse - this one is a beautiful and simple love poem in tribute to his wife. I am sure he would be happy for me to share it - please read and enjoy.

Year of Jubilee
(c) AJ "Mac" McIntyre

I started school one summer,
I can still recall the day,
And the little girl with pigtails
That I met along the way.
She was small and trim and golden,
But the wonderful surprise
Was the way her face would light up
And her lovely, laughing eyes.

So we started school together,
And our lives became entwined,
And I somehow knew this tomboy
Was the mate I'd hope to find.
And the schoolroom seemed less dreary,
For her presence brought a glow
As she worked with slate and pencil,
Her shining head bent low.

We walked to school for years
And it came as no surprise
That I early learned to love her,
She ... of the laughing eyes.
But our school days were soon over,
For the seasons flew so fast.
We were growing up together
And our childhood days were past.

I cleared my own selection,
For my heart was with the land,
And we married one bright summer
To walk life hand in hand.
Then our children had their schooling
In the place we knew so well.
In the cool crisp days of winter
We could hear the old school bell.

Once more we're at the schoolhouse
On this day of Jubilee,
And our children with their children
Bring a surge of pride in me.
For here I did my learning,
And my questing mind was led
Through the wonderland of knowledge
To the life that lay ahead.

She sits quietly beside me
And the years have greyed her hair.
She has lost her early vigour
But the laughing eyes are there.
And when they ring the school bell,
My memory goes a-winging,
And I see a lithe brown tomboy
With golden pigtails swinging.

(c) AJ "Mac" McIntyre

[Catherine Lee]

Oh my goodness, I love it Shelley - thank you for sharing it

[Shelley Hansen]

Isn't it wonderful Catherine? What a supremely beautiful declaration of love from husband to wife! I'm so pleased you felt the same.

By the way, congratulations on your prize in the Blackened Billy.

Cheers, Shelley

[Catherine Lee]

Thank you so much Shelley, that's very kind of you