Nurse Mary

Mary is a district nurse

She travels round each day

To see her patients, give them the care they need

As she wends her merry way

She has her trusty bicycle

Which is nearly as old as she?

But it lets her peddle for miles and miles

So she is as fit as fit can be

In her basket which fits upon the front

She carries all she may need

And she can be seen by every one

Traveling around at her own speed

There’s Mrs Maguire at Appleton Court

A saintly woman of means

But her health is not what it should be

And when Mary calls her face just gleams

To see someone so caring

Who looks after all her needs?

And to while away the time and make some tea

And bring happiness, she always succeeds

Old Mr Partridge at Apple Road

Who lives alone now his wife has passed away

Who is a miserable old so and so

But who Mary still calls on every day

She cooks and cleans but he still moans

The world need’s putting to right

He complains he needs more money from the state

To pay for his television and his heat and light

Saint Mary listens, but has problems of her own

Which intermingles with her own woes?

Being recently diagnosed with cancer

But she feels that’s the way it goes

So she must grin and bear it

Still thinks of others before herself

Has no one at home to turn to

She is a spinster left on the shelf

Married to her profession

Always putting others first

And as usual in life for caring people

They always come off worst

But Old Molly Catapult

A name to conjure with its true

Said it must have been a shot in the dark

Because her family were a motley crew

But Molly loved her garden

Where flowers bloomed all year

And Mary used to help her weed it

They enjoyed doing it together never fear

But as time went by Mary’s health became worse

She began to get tired more quickly than before

And when twilight time is near at hand

She is glad just to get through her own front door

But this particular morning she never arrived at all

No smile for Mrs Maguire, or any of the others too

Mrs Catapult felt so all alone

She did not know what to do

But she contacted the local policeman

Who called to see if Mary was all right?

And after breaking into her cottage

Found she had passed away that night

All her friends were saddened by the news

Her patients most of all

But they all knew how ill she was

And the reaper would someday call

And now in the memorial garden

Just away up the road from the infant school

They have erected a memorial garden

With a Plaque and ornamental pool

Because Mary was the person

On whom all the village could rely

And would be remembered by all that knew her

And even those who passed it by

The work that someone like Mary does

Is sometimes never really appreciated to the fullest extent

Until the day they are no longer there, then it becomes so evident