Pour mon papa et maman

Because, giving birthday cards away was a family tradition
But you never gave the other guys cards!

Overseas, studying for his life but mostly just for fun
Equally bored, like me, suddenly turned loose into a world of maturity
Easier but colder.

Extra trips to the laundrette
and like Juliet, ask the fair maid who the man was

He had the cocky optimism of ignorance

Her, the enlightening stupidity and the boldness of beauty

7 page letters?
Warm hugs in the Sydney cold?
Waltzes that led to love?
And there was only really one to dance with
Not the others.

Both struggling through Lear and the Great Gatsby
Language forced on unsuspecting souls
English songs were fashionable
And you started the biggest joke of all
(that got the whole world crying)

Hard work in restaurants
Warm tutoring
and other unmentionable things
that I can only imagine happen
(and must have happened!)
or why would there be me?

6 months in Oregon
Me, 2 sisters
and 24 damn years of marriage.