She was born in Dunedoo in 1926,
A time of ice boxes, phonographs and silent flicks,
Her father was Archie, Margaret her mother,
In Mendooran, along came Roy, her brother.

The Great Depression young Phyllis lived through,
Food and jobs were scarce, many ate rabbit stew,
Fast forward to the forties, the world in war, 
Soldiers leaving and some returning she saw.

In 1945, she met a man called Keven,
That Kevin with an ‘en’, he’s now in heaven,
They danced in synch well into the night,
The swing waltz, quickstep, holding tight.

In 1948, Phyllis and Keven were wed,
At hot Gilgandra their vows were said,
They moved to ‘Bunyarrah’ near Coolabah,
The distance to towns and cities so far.

At ‘Bunyarrah’ Jennifer and Ann were born,
They moved to Wellington, no sheep to be shorn,
Now, to four Phyllis is the loving grandmother
And to nine she is loving great grandmother.

Nimble with the thimble, dexterous with the thread,
She made many garments – white, black and red,
Her eye for perfection made her in great demand 
Like a master pianist playing on a grand.

Memories flood back on this day of celebrations,
So, raise your glasses all her friends and relations,
It is time to applaud a life so well led,
Congratulations Phyllis, you have reached one hundred.

© Neil Dufty