Old Age Is Just ''A Play on Words'': A Celebration for the Young at Heart

By Ron Parker

Old Age is Just A Play on Words is providing me a grand opportunity to perform a literary song and dance in honor of people whom I have admired and respected throughout the years. Many of these people have been older relatives, friends, and acquaintances who have been a great influence in my life and in the lives of others. I have endeavored to honor them against a thematic backdrop of agelessness which they all represent. They deserve to be celebrated because of their wisdom, knowledge, wit, and zeal for living wholesome and exuberant lives, in spite of the social, environmental, and health related obstacles that they encountered.
The poem, "Lonnie", is based on the actual words spoken by an older gentleman who proudly expressed to me his leisure-time activities. I immediately thought, These are age old occurrences because old age is just a play on words.
My fondness for good southern living was the inspiration for the section entitled "Call Me Country All You Wanna". Furthermore, my appreciation of my southern upbringing is woven in the other three sections of the book, Age of Contradictions, Old Fashioned Genuine Love, and Let Every Tongue Confess.(Ron Parker)

Ron Parkers spirited collection of poems shows us how universal a celebration of the human experience can be. This body of work gives real-life people an opportunity to re-experience their hopes, dreams, ups, and downs which are so familiar to mankind.
Each poem will touch where the crux of passion and zeal for life dwells. This modern day Wordsworth pens a style that is direct, pointed, and committed to delineating the vivid mental images that will strike a chord of I Remember in the minds of every reader.(Dr.Azalie B. Hightower)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462831753

Ron Parker

I live in the north west of England and write mostly adult mysteries, though I have also written a (loosely) sci-fi book for kids and a non fiction book on child care. From this you will gther that my background is in the field of child care, though I have been retired from that for some time.Until recently, I was involved with the Scout Movement, and was secretary of my local tenants & residents group. Nowadays, my time is spent writing and looking after my cat, Peggy.

Book preview

OLD AGE IS JUST

A PLAY ON WORDS

A Celebration for

the Young at Heart

Ron Parker

Copyright © 2008 by Ron Parker.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

52189

Contents

THIS AGE OF CONTRADICTIONS

LONNIE

AIN’T IT FUNNY HOW TIME GOES BY?

MODERN MATURITY

HARD ROCK

YOUR CHOICE

GOLDEN

KID

VAN BLAKE

GO AHEAD

UNCLE LONZO

DADDY BROWN

GENERATIONS OF LOVE AND REVERENCE

AUNT IDA

MY AGE?

ODE TO BLADEY MAE

PRIME TIME

GRANDMA’S GRANDS

AGE LESS

MARY ELLEN

THE BALD HEAD

UNCLE MAX

KEEP DREAMING

GOLDEN YEARS

SUCH A LADY

MEAN, OLD UGLY PAIN

NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE

MS. EVA’S HOUSE

RETIRED

MS. OCIE

THE BOSS

DIGITS FOR J. C. M.C. 1989

THEY LIVED

POP WALLACE

MASTER BUILDERS

PRECIOUS JEWEL

THE OLD MAN LIVES

FREE AND BE FREE

RAYMOND AND MEEK

GRAND ZEE

CHEEK TO CHEEK

THE PARKER BOYS

MR. LITCHFIELD

MR. B

GOOD OLE UNCLE BERK

HAWLEY

MOTHER MOORE

MISS BETTIE

PLATINUM BELLES AND BEAUS

ALWAYS THE PROVIDER

MOTHER ALLEN

EVELYN

OLD MODERN MARVIN

LONNIE PLAYED TO LIVE

THIS AGE OF CONTRADICTIONS

OLD FASHIONED GENUINE LOVE

ANGIE’S WELCOME

HE SERENADED ME

MOVIES IN HIS MIND

BEFOREEVER AND AFTER FOREVERMORE

WE METT

ANTICIPATION

LOVE

YOU REFRESH ME

PERFECT LOVERS

EARLY SPRING DAY TYPE OF LOVE

THE KEY TO MY HEART

YOU ARE…

LONG’S I’S WIT YOU

NOW

TOGETHER

DOWN BY THE RIVER

I’LL BE PREPARED TO WRITE A LOVE POEM

FOR YOUR LOVE

GORGEOUS LADY!

THE FLAME IS ETERNAL

YOU ARE MUSIC

VOW

SILENCE IS GOLDEN

YOU ARE EVERYTHING

MISTY

AND GEE

THE TEST OF TIME

COMPLETE LOVE

HONEY, DON’T FORGET WHEN…

HOME AGAIN

I SAW A ROSE

MEANT FOR YOU

MY SPARKLING STAR

SULTRY, SEXY SONGSTRESS

SWEET MAMA

OLD FASHIONED GENUINE LOVE

CALL ME COUNTRY ALL YOU WANNA

COUNTRY ROADS

I’LL TRY

GRANDMA: MY FIRST/BEST DRILL SERGEANT

BEING OLDEST IS HELL

WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW WON’T HURT YOU

PUTTING ON AIRS

A CHEAP THRILL

GRANDMA TO GRANDSON

GRANDMA’S HOUSE

I WISH YOU WOULD EVER REMAIN

I’M A COMING

CARRY ME BACK TO NEW VIRGINIA

YOU SAY THAT’S GEOMETRY?

BUDS AND J.W. REDD

HE TRIES SO HARD

BABE’S SWEET YEARN

MYSTICAL ILLUSIONS

DAYS OF YORE, TIMES OF CHARM

CALL ME COUNTRY ALL YA WANNA… .

LET EVERY TONGUE CONFESS

REV. WADE

PASTOR GILMORE, SR.

SATURDAY NIGHT

HE WILL PREVAIL

AT PEACE WITH LIFE

STRENGTHEN AND PAVE

SUMMER SATURDAY NIGHTS

BEHIND THE SMILE

RETRO-LIFE

SEXTON ROWE

REV. WHEELER

GOOD TIMES

KEEP ON KEEPING-ON

STAND TALL

HON TOLD ME

COPING AND SUCCUMBING

MOLLY MAE

THE QUESTION

CHERISH YOUR GIFT

FOREVERLASTING

FOREVERMORE

FOREVER

GONNA LIVE MY LIFE MY FIRST TIME

FUTURE IN HEAVEN

GONNA LIVE MY LIFE

TRADING PLACES

HOMAGE

I GOT FAITH LAWD

REV’S GUT

REV’S SHOES

REESIE’S LIL’ LOVE CHILD

LET EVERY TONGUE CONFESS

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my mother, Mrs. R. Elaine Parker, and to the memory of my father, father-in-law, uncles, aunts, and my wise senior friends who saw old age as just a play on words.

My mother is still an example of age-old occurrences that demonstrate a zeal for living an exuberant life of peace, love and happiness.

THE TRUTH

. . . Jus’ wanna tell the truth, a truth, somebody’s truth—

so vividly and so profoundly that they jump to their feet,

raise their hands in the air, and shout, "Halleluiah—

Lord, my life is being flashed right before my very eyes!"

Yes, until they shout so loudly and with such conviction

that somebody else, other people,