1970 REUNION – September 2010

We’re gathered here expectant of a wonderful event
To celebrate these 40 years and wonder where they went;
We’re gathered here ‘cause Prue & Pam begat a great idea
And sent it out across the ‘net; that’s why we’re gathered here!

When Pam & Prudy have a thought you’d best go into hiding
They’ll seek you out and reel you in no matter where you’re biding
To see your happy faces now I’m glad that they weren’t idle
Although just once or twice we wished they had been, me and Didles!

We’re gathered here as women who have lived as Ladies should
A showcase of NEGS virtues, of achievements and of Good!
We’ve left our myriad secrets in the box under our beds
And gather here as equals in our hearts and in our heads.

We have this thing in common whether single, mums or wives –
We shared our childhood years here ere we went to live our lives
We dwelt upon this campus in a metamorphic huddle
Before they cast us out into the ocean from this puddle.

We’re gathered here today beneath these old familiar walls
To stir a soup of memories of our time within these halls
To recollect the days when in our bloomers and our girdles
We had our hours of glory on the highjump and the hurdles.

How good we were for Youngie while she taught us Latin verbs
The hell we gave to Miss Dupre who had to leave with nerves
How we dozed the weary hours of French as Mrs Childers droned
And wrote home every week because our parents never phoned.

The hours of prep spent searching through our Messel science books
For pictures of the parts of boys at which we loved to look
And how we sat and reverently listened to Mrs Hall
Who brought the English tongue to life and held us in her thrall.

And Raady with her Dutch accent who played the pedant role
And said “Cry girls, go right ahead, it irrigates the soul!”
How Lolly frowned when Bronty snapped from our relentless teasing –
And laughing during chapel and pretending we were sneezing

We reminisce of pillow fights, Miss Graves and midnight feasts
Of sinker, stew and sunbaked legs and dreams of sexy beasts
We recollect the Beatles and a string of favourite songs
We marvel over mini skirts and sacs and showertime thongs.

We wonder how we went to town in pudding hats and gloves
And laugh at how we suffered so for unrequited loves
We think of TAS and Kings boys and our passionate, heartfelt pinings
We know we’re special becos unlike clouds we had WHITE linings!

We think we’d like to picnic at Blue Hole or Wollomombi
To go on out to Minny’s place and ride her favourite brumby
We think it would be lovely just to turn back all the years
Would we could live them all again! The good times, fun and tears!

It’s nigh on 40 years now since we packed our bags to leave
And all set off into the world, our tangled webs to weave;
We put aside our childish games, our schoolbooks and our toys
We gave up smoking furtively and went for men not boys.

While some of us did Uni and proclaimed our fine degrees
Others stayed at home to help, and some went overseas
We grew up – time took care of that – and swapped chewed nails for emeries
We grew apart, we changed our names…… but we never lost those memories

As now we clasp old friends to heart and read familiar eyes
We can’t deny the grey hairs, or that wrinkles tell no lies
This is a sombre thought I know and really rather weighty –
But let’s keep closer contact now and not wait til we’re eighty!
© jane grieve