Happy Birthday Alice

Me: What lovely photos, Nell. Thank you for choosing them.

Nell: My pleasure.

Me: I adore that one of you two smiling.

Nell: I know you do. Now, you’re bound to be feeling a little emotional today as you can’t be with your daughter.

Me: I am.

Nell: But we’re all here and so is your dear friend Shel.

Me: It’s lovely to see him again.

Nell: So we’ll all celebrate Alice’s birthday together.

Me: Yes.

Nell: I’ve written a poem. Would you like to hear it?

Me: Very much.

Nell: ‘Today is an awfully important sort of day

Ask David, or Harriet,

Or Jonathan, or Faye

A certain Special Someone

Beloved by us all

Is Having a Birthday,

Shall we just call

Her Alice, or Mummy, or Darling will do,

Or simply dear Tink,

Or sometimes just You,

Whatever we call her

We love her so dearly

That sometimes it’s hard

To explain it quite clearly

And we have to resort

To cuddling her tight

And kissing her fiercely

Like bears in a fight.

Let happiness abound

Watch out for the llamas

They’re jumping around

In flowered pyjamas.

The Welsh Corgi Choir

Are singing with glee

As animals queue

For Poppy’s afternoon tea.

There are sandwiches, ice cream

And a big birthday cake

With ‘Alice’ written on it

So one can’t make a mistake

And eat it accidentally

Which can happen of course

To rather large Labradors

The size of a horse.

Please know dear Alice

On your special day

We are with you in spirit

No matter how far away.’

Me: That’s perfect, Nell. I just wish I was there to give her a birthday hug.

Nell: She knows she is loved.

Me: Yes, she does.

Nell: And that’s all that matters really, isn’t it?

Me: Yes. Sorry.