Generations (Kim McCarthy)
Generations
by Kim McCarthy (c. 1985)
Grandpa was a military man.
Navy.
Made it all the way to Lieutenant before he mustered out.
Never saw a lot of combat.
Or if he did he never talked about it.
The thing he would talk about, though,
Was his Great Voyage.
His Grand Adventure.
He didn't know it was that when he started it, however.
Thought it was just routine.
Then he thought that it would never end.
It did, of course.
Years later he passed his memories on to me,
When I was a lad,
At night when the stars were out.
Wild countries, he saw, where nobody lived any more,
But would soon again.
Fabulous buildings of gold.
And men all in silver.
The ruins left by war.
And secrets still to be discovered.
And his long-necked monster
Rising from the waters.
He never ceased to enjoy telling me about his great sea serpent.
And I never stopped wanting to hear.
He met Grandma on that voyage, too,
Although they didn't realize it until later.
She calls his stories old age fantasies
As most grandmothers do.
There was a mysterious stranger along, as well.
Tall and strong.
Here today and gone tomorrow.
Stowed away with his niece, he said.
Put Grandpa down for the count in a brawl.
Which could be why Grandpa remembers him so well.
Few enough people ever beat Grandpa at boxing
That he forgot who they were.
I'm a lot like Grandpa, I suppose.
Besides the resemblance they say is there.
Which I don't see at all, actually.
But I am a military man, too.
Naval Lieutenant.
And not likely to go far beyond it now.
And I haven't seen much fighting.
At least not the kind I can talk about in public.
I had my Grand Adventure as well.
I thought it'd never end, either.
It did, of course.
Too soon, I think sometimes.
Still, I saw as many wonders as Grandpa did.
They weren't quite the same.
I saw a lost world waiting for the colonists to come back to it,
Instead of abandoned jungle fields.
There was a whole planet made of gold,
Instead of just royal palaces.
My metal men were Cybermen and Daleks,
Rather than armored guards at the gates.
But ruins are still ruins.
And there are still secrets aplenty to be solved.
I have my long-necked monster, too.
Not quite a sea serpent,
But fierce enough,
Rising out of the Thames.
I may have met my future bride on the journey, also.
Although it's too soon to tell.
Not a bad idea, though, I must say.
Grandpa's mysterious stranger was along as well.
Here tomorrow and gone today.
He's done a little changing, of course.
Wouldn't be caught dead wearing velvet.
Not again, anyway.
But I wouldn't take a poke at him
For all the gold on Voga.
So perhaps we are alike,
Grandpa Andrews and I.
It certainly feels like it at times.
When summer winds are warm,
When all the stars are out,
And Grandma makes curried chicken.
by Kim McCarthy (c. 1985)
Grandpa was a military man.
Navy.
Made it all the way to Lieutenant before he mustered out.
Never saw a lot of combat.
Or if he did he never talked about it.
The thing he would talk about, though,
Was his Great Voyage.
His Grand Adventure.
He didn't know it was that when he started it, however.
Thought it was just routine.
Then he thought that it would never end.
It did, of course.
Years later he passed his memories on to me,
When I was a lad,
At night when the stars were out.
Wild countries, he saw, where nobody lived any more,
But would soon again.
Fabulous buildings of gold.
And men all in silver.
The ruins left by war.
And secrets still to be discovered.
And his long-necked monster
Rising from the waters.
He never ceased to enjoy telling me about his great sea serpent.
And I never stopped wanting to hear.
He met Grandma on that voyage, too,
Although they didn't realize it until later.
She calls his stories old age fantasies
As most grandmothers do.
There was a mysterious stranger along, as well.
Tall and strong.
Here today and gone tomorrow.
Stowed away with his niece, he said.
Put Grandpa down for the count in a brawl.
Which could be why Grandpa remembers him so well.
Few enough people ever beat Grandpa at boxing
That he forgot who they were.
I'm a lot like Grandpa, I suppose.
Besides the resemblance they say is there.
Which I don't see at all, actually.
But I am a military man, too.
Naval Lieutenant.
And not likely to go far beyond it now.
And I haven't seen much fighting.
At least not the kind I can talk about in public.
I had my Grand Adventure as well.
I thought it'd never end, either.
It did, of course.
Too soon, I think sometimes.
Still, I saw as many wonders as Grandpa did.
They weren't quite the same.
I saw a lost world waiting for the colonists to come back to it,
Instead of abandoned jungle fields.
There was a whole planet made of gold,
Instead of just royal palaces.
My metal men were Cybermen and Daleks,
Rather than armored guards at the gates.
But ruins are still ruins.
And there are still secrets aplenty to be solved.
I have my long-necked monster, too.
Not quite a sea serpent,
But fierce enough,
Rising out of the Thames.
I may have met my future bride on the journey, also.
Although it's too soon to tell.
Not a bad idea, though, I must say.
Grandpa's mysterious stranger was along as well.
Here tomorrow and gone today.
He's done a little changing, of course.
Wouldn't be caught dead wearing velvet.
Not again, anyway.
But I wouldn't take a poke at him
For all the gold on Voga.
So perhaps we are alike,
Grandpa Andrews and I.
It certainly feels like it at times.
When summer winds are warm,
When all the stars are out,
And Grandma makes curried chicken.