First and Foremost--a poem a friend sent me for my 65th birthday!

My dear friend Anne sent this poem to me in an email,on my birthday,and said the book was in the post, when it arrived "Red Cherry Red by Jackie Kay I see there is also a verse called ,my bad points...she was kind enough to leave that out. I will of course publish this too.....in time....


My good points:
I am fresh, novel,
the genuine article.
I am unprecedented.
From the word go,
a healthy ego;
I'm incomparable,
bold and original.
Never backwards
in coming forwards.
Never put off for tomorrow
what I can do today.I rise at dawn
with the cockerel.
I reap the fruits.
I put my good foot first.
I also first foot.
I am phenomenal,
first among equals.
I took the first step.
I made the first move.
I always stand up to be counted.
I don't run away from the truth.
I get things first
hand; I come straight
to the point.
"Hold on, hold on,"
I say "First things first"
To sum up:
I'm quite exceptional.

Poem ( again maybe)

Bittersweet moment on a Paris street.

He : "Excuse Madame"

She: "I am sorry I don't speak French"

He: "My English is very bad"

She "My French too"

He: "Have you got a cigarette"?

She: " I am sorry,I don't smoke"

He: "No problem,au revoir Madame"

And the young man walked away.leaving the the older woman with an acute sense of loss.

May 2004 ,Paris, Helen Collins