UP TO 8,000 VIEWS, 40+ CHATS, COMMENTS
When I suggested that she let me publish her lively verses, Mrs. Chong-Lee responded positively. So to all our young once and young ones, please read the very down to earth but soul-stirring lines...
Thank you Judy.
Sharing with my close ones this poem I penned in May 2020 during the lock down. For the inspiration of fellow seniors 🙂.
Getting Old
Age they say is just a number
But the higher I go I seem dumber.
I've never been as old as I am now
To the march of time I must bow.
Simple chores no longer automatic
Auto-pilot programs gone erratic.
Things often get lost or go missing
Tasks to do need constant reminding.
Add on to these my new miseries
The sad pain of physical disabilities.
From birth to death we face life stages
Same for everyone through the ages.
With all our experience and wisdom
Age constraints restrict our freedom.
Since the past is already long gone
Please don't let it keep us forlorn.
The present is really a great gift
To live with joy as we daily drift.
The future is undecided for all
Just be very careful not to fall.
We're here on a wondrous journey
Aspiring to reach our divine destiny.
If there's still a dream or ambition
Go for it... too old for any inhibition.
For many they say life begins at 40
At 70 we could be young (once) as 30.
So cast away the cares every onus
To live these golden years is a bonus.
I want to live well laugh and love much
So my dear friends please stay in touch.
Composed by:
Judy Chong - Lee [Mrs. Jimmy PresLee]
May, 2020.
*Click comments below, please, one by Chow Wen Hing especially...
Yours too are welcome.
https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2014/11/jimmy-preslee-singapores-elvis-tribute.html
Here's a short list of songs with similar themes that could interest you:
1 Life - Elvis Presley [Mrs. Judy Chong's choice on YouTube]
2 Fly Like An Eagle - Steve Miller Band
3 Against the Wind - Bob Seger/Silver Bullet Band
4 Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
5 Those Were They Days - Mary Hopkin
6 It Was A Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra
7 Yesterday When I Was Young - Roy Clark
8 My Way - Paul Anka
9 Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra
10 Forever Young - Rod Stewart
11 Just Young - Paul Anka
12 The Young Ones - Cliff Richard
13 The Times Of Your Life - Paul Anka
14 Enjoy Yourself - Doris Day
15 In Our Old Age - Kenny Rogers
16 That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine - Gene Autry
17 Silver Threads Among The Gold - Will Oakland
18 We'll Meet Again - Johnny Cash
19 September Song - Willie Nelson
20 Rocking Chair - Hoagy Carmichael
ReplyDeleteThe lovely poem is well written by an educated lady.
The songs titles are also fabulous.
ReplyDeleteAwesome 👍
That’s Jimmy Preslee and his wife.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is so well written Judy!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS FOR LIKING JUDY'S POEM
ReplyDeleteSer Kiong Tan
Poh Huat Tng
Cedric Cork
Chow Wen Hing
Gracie Teo
Patrick Teng
Ho Victor
Rose Khoo
Stephen Han
Davy Chan
Ben van der Lan-Hatikustia
Thanks to all readers and friends who either like the poem or appreciate the whole posting.
ReplyDeleteI thought it an appropriate time to think about life's journey as many of our 60s international music makers have already passed away. Even our local musicians are gone, including the ladies too.
Very well written poetry , thank you very much for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteLovely and well written.
ReplyDeleteThks for sharing.👍
Well written.
ReplyDeleteThe past is history, the present is the only certainty and the future is always a maybe.
Que sera sera the future we may foresee but what will be will be.
Awesome ❤️❤🤗🤗.. Thanks for sharing.. 👍👍🍁🍂🍁🍂🙂🙂
ReplyDeleteSmart and talented , beautiful, witty, loving soul and a kind heart.
ReplyDeleteElvis you are a lucky man.
oh you're too kind and generous..
ReplyDeleteI'm not as multi talented as you and cannot generate money like you do😆
This post is one of those gold nuggets redeemed from the vaults.
ReplyDeleteCheers for JUDY'S writing skills that it's done extremely well.
Thanks to all who wrote in to comment and compliment.
Beautifully written piece, thank you for sharing Judy!☺️ Time truly is precious...
ReplyDeleteWow Andy!
ReplyDeleteA superb poem by someone with a great command of the English language - Mrs. Judy Chong-Lee.
I think it is the natural cycle of life. Just as there is always a beginning, there will always be an ending.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that it is not how others or the world at large deal with aging, but it is in the hands of those who are aging to find their place, their worth. The following is what I call the 3-Rs of aging gracefully:
(1) Stay REGAL - do not resort to self deprecation or over inflation of one's self worth just to prove a point. You are who you are, and the younger generation can see right through the façade we put up.
(2) RESPOND appropriately - the world around us would be moving in a pace we are not accustomed to, and it would also sound and feel odd and strange to us. Our response should be one of inquiry, curiosity and wonder - not condemnation, disdain or superiority (our way was better). To stay young, be young and be eager to learn, to understand, to accept with childlike innocence.
(3) READJUST - in line with (2), we must flow with the time! Learn the new and strange ways, adapt and adjust as best as we could. As the saying goes: "the only constant is change", we would have to be nimble and flexible to changing times.
If we use the 3R approach, we will begin to feel a change in attitude from others, as they can see how we are gracefully and socially adjusting to and embracing the times. We are not dinosaurs that would die out with time, but we will leave our legacy as a contributing member of society - learning and changing until our very last breath.
(Adapted from the original article "Getting Past The Age Barrier" by CHOW WEN HING publish in Recruit, The Straits Times, 2015/16)
I want to thank everyone who commented with your likes and compliments to my very simple and fast-verse poem. All thanks to Andy for sharing it in your blog. Cheers and stay young at heart!
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your allowing me to post your verses. Also many thanks to your wonderful hubby Jimmy, a friend I've known since we met some years ago.
The response was overwhelming with nearly 400 views within a day. That's huge for a Singapore 60s music blog. The theme is appropriate - about seniors and life's journey...
Here's hoping you will write verses about Singapore music in the 60s & 70s too.
"Life" is a 1971 song by Elvis Presley. It was written by Shirl Milete. Elvis recorded it June 6, 1970.
ReplyDeleteThe single release had a seven-week stay on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at #53. It reached #8 on the Easy Listening chart and #34 on the Country Chart. It was a double A-side with "Only Believe".
It was included on Elvis "Love Letters" from Elvis album.
From:
https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/18648893/Elvis+Presley/Life
ELVIS PRESLEY - LIFE
ReplyDelete"Somewhere out in empty space,
Long before the human race,
Something stirred,
A vast and timeless source began,
Intelligence was born and then,
There was the WORD..."
I could be wrong here but I think it's not WORLD, as suggested on my lyrics websites, but WORD. Perhaps the composer/lyricist herself could confirm it.
THANKS.
Hi Andy,
ReplyDeleteThe hit song LIFE by Elvis Presley: the word WORLD in the song lyrics is correct.
Not WORD.
WORD rhymes with STIRRED [from Verse 1, Line 3]
ReplyDeleteWORLD doesn't rhyme with WORD.
In Verse 2, it's repeated:
"The image of the maker's WORD.."
It's not a gospel but near enough, I think.
BTW: The composer died in 2006
We cannot confirm.
Anyone out there?
Lovely poem! Someday much older I will read the poem again and will have more feel than I m now.
ReplyDeleteI've listened to SHIRL MILETE, ELVIS n NAT STUCKEY singing LIFE on YOUTUBE.
ReplyDeleteAlthough all the lyrics sites show the word, WORLD, I hear it pronounced sounding more like WORD by all three artistes.
But we'll never know if Shirl used WORD in that song.
Could be ''word'', Andy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, both words make sense.
Hi Andy, it's always been WORD to me.. for rhyme and reason ��
ReplyDeleteTHANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR APPRECIATING N LOVING JUDY'S POEM
ReplyDeleteSteve Goh
Tom Tan
Rocker Lee
Charlie Yap Locomotion
Rose Khoo
Stephen Han
Judy Chong Lee
Md Iqbal Md Ismail
Steve Jay
Elizabeth Goenawan Ananto
Rustico Yanga Pamintuan
Mei Yan Once Bacinillo
Alfred Boy Sanchez
Victor De Silva
Cathy Elvis
Herry Kardjono
Terry Ip
Tk Loh
Harris Hamzah
Ruth Nomnomnom
Lawrence Lim
Oi Eng Quan
Michael CW NG
Jim Tang
Non Wacharakiat
Jason Lim
Joe Diamond
Johnlee Chee Phin
Vicky Yl Ng
ML Lin
Michael Tay
Alex Wong
Yuan Kiong
Andrew KC
Joe Tye
Rocky Lim
Tita Tirona
Alvin Lee
Daniel Ray
Wong Yiam Moi
Lyn Barron
Jo Sunafri
YKooi Cheah
Peter Lim
Yi-Lin See Toh
George Punnoose
Jhemz Silerio Yap
Nancy Ooi
CHEERS
ReplyDeleteJudy Chong Lee
ReplyDeleteProud of you.
ALL HEARTS
ReplyDeleteWow, that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteNice poem😍
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT.
Thanks to MICHAEL, JIMMY and JUDY for the discussion on LIFE song by ELVIS.
ReplyDeleteWe'll let it rest and hope for other comments.
Some linguistically interested parties may write in.
CHEERS.
I agree with you... it should be WORD. It rhymes and it is in line with the song - the title and the lyrics.
ReplyDeleteWORLD is possible but not ideal, would come across as amateurish.
Yes, it's the WORD. Favorites with Christians. Meaning, the Bible.
Thanks WEN HING.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to all others who like this post and wrote in.
Even JUDY'S choice of ELVIS' 'LIFE' song has been delightfully discussed.
For a 3 to 4 day posting, it's overwhelming.
The poem "Getting Old" is well-written, meaningful and inspirational. I hope it can be turned into a song and that will be great ! Andy, I like your listed songs and many of the old songs are also well-composed and meaningful, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive comment you provided, FL.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Judy will be pleased to read it.
Strange but what a co-incidence that you mentioned about the poem/song conversion.
Jimmy is connecting with Wen Hing to discuss it soon.
Again, my thumbs up FL for keeping in touch for so many years.
Will let you know soon regarding the suggestion.
THANKS SPECIALLY TO DAVY CHAN FOR BEING THE FIRST TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND LOVE JUDY'S POEM.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Judy for her inspiring poem. Meanwhile, reading about Jimmy reminded me of the annual Elvis Festival held in Parkes in regional New South Wales, Australia. I have never been but it sounds like a lot of fun. There should be a Singapore representative there!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au/
Regards
Steve
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteSounds great actually.
Maybe we should all go in a group?
I shall sound Jimmy PresLee about it.
Thanks for the comment on Judy's poem.
See you there at the festival soon.
It's not 'World', it's 'Word'. If you listen to the lyrics again, you will find the whole Bible is condensed into this song.
ReplyDelete