20th Wedding Anniversary

"Wow Allen it's fantastic. It's a good job I'm on my own reading this. I love
it, don't alter a thing. Thank you thank you. Andrew"

(This is a good example of what can be achieved. It also demonstrates quite nicely the power of unlimited drafts. For the record, I normally get it 'right' within the first or second draft but I am happy to keep on drafting until the poem is 'exactly' right. This one only took two drafts, a 20th wedding anniversary gift from Andrew to his wife Andrea).

What is your name : andrew smith

Who do you want the poem written for: my wife andrea on our 20th wedding anniversary

Why do you want the poem written: 20th wedding anniversary

What are the key messages you would like to send: Walking through the hotel full of people on our wedding night we were so young and embarressed becuase we were being shown to the honeymoon suite. The bar roared with laughter. Our first night in our first house, andrea sleeping on the sofa and me on the floor, thats all the furniture we had.the noisy cockerel in portugal on our honeymoon.the birth of our 2 boys very emotionaland the happiest days of our lives.Our family friday evenings, holidays in turkey and the our last holiday to florida were so very special for us. Our first argument where you packed a couple of plastic bags of clothes and when i pointed out you only had sweaters we both laughed.

Do you have any funny, sad, happy, embarrassing or otherwise memorable moments that you would like to share: I just want to let my sweetheart know that i'm in love with her so much and I am so proud of everything she has done. i want to spend the rest of my days with her and we have always agreed that when our time has come andrea has to be the first to go because i couldn't leave her on her own.

Do you have any other comments or thoughts: very romantic please

What style of poem would you prefer (happy, sad, romantic etc.): romantic

Please choose which package you would prefer : Deluxe

Would you like a copy of the handwritten drafts : Yes

Happy 70th Anniversary

I can't believe it's been twenty years.
My! That time has certainly flown,
but Andrea, I just wanted to say thank you,
wanted to thank you for all the love that you've shown.

In that time, we've made many memories,
in truth, just too many to individually list,
just know that each and every one is precious,
no, there's not one that I would have missed.

I'll never forget our wedding night,
the thought of it still makes me colour red,
we were just so young and embarrassed,
a room full of people, just what was said?

I remember the bar roaring with laughter,
it seemed a long way to that honeymoon suite,
but we went okay once the door was closed,
we embraced, making the day, so complete.

Remember our first night in our first house?
You slept on the sofa and I slept on the floor,
not a row, that was all the furniture we possessed,
the thought of that night will stay with me, for evermore.

What about the noisy cockerel in Portugal?
We were honeymooners, we needed the rest,
but once we were awake, well, say no more,
we did what honeymooners have always done best.

And that love led to the happiest days of our lives,
namely, when Neale and Dafydd landed on planet Earth,
and Andrea, I just wanted to thank you for your love,
yes, truly, I do appreciate your true and honest worth.

I really look forward to our family Friday evenings,
and our time in Turkey and Florida was just great,
so Andrea, I wanted to thank you for being you, I
wanted to thank you for being my one and only, soul-mate.

But I'll never forget our first real argument,
you packed two bags, all sweaters if I recall,
thank goodness, that ended in laughter, because
without you, my life would seem empty, rather small.

You see, I've tried imagining life without you,
and when I do, all I see is a lost and lonely dark,
because Andrea, you have lit up my Universe,
and all it took was you, my love, my light, my spark.

Andrea, I wanted to thank you for just everything,
I'd like to thank you for all that you've done,
because your love has been my inspiration, my light,
in every way, you've been like my morning sun.

I want you to know that I'm proud of you,
yes, Andrea, I am so proud to call you 'my wife',
and I just wanted to thank you for being you,
I wanted to thank you for making my life.

I now know how I'm going to spend the rest of time,
because forever, I'll be with the one that I love,
and I don't want to end this on a morbid note, but
please let it be you that's first to the heavens above.

But I don't know what I'd do without you, for
truly, Andrea, I love you with all my heart and soul,
for with you in my life, I am complete, yes,
you are the one that makes me completely whole.

I want you to know that I love you very much,
in fact, I've never said just how wonderful you are,
but if my love for you were a distance, well,
it would reach way beyond the furthest star.

We shared the same stars in 2003,
but it was circumstance that kept us apart,
I know the Gulf War was a worrying time,
but we were stilled joined, by the heart.

You were so strong and so very brave,
I don't think you slept while I was away,
and the country owes you for my 22 years,
and that one line leaves so much to say:

Because without your love and understanding,
I would not be the man who fills these shoes,
and I know I would be truly lost without you,
yes, I know, I have it all (with everything to lose).

But thankfully, we now have a little more furniture,
so I now look forward to bedtime, more comfortably,
and I'm also looking forward to the rest of our lives,
and in fifty years from now, our 70th Anniversary.

Copyright Allen Jesson 2008
www.agiftofpoetry.com

Andrew kindly replied (after the first draft):

Hi Allen, Thank you, you were very quick with the first draft. It's wonderful but can i make a couple of changes please:

The morbid verse should be Andrea will go first. I was probably the way i wrote it - sorry. Please can you include the names of my children, neale and dafydd. Finally, can you include a verse about my time in the gulf war in 2003.This was truly a very worrying time for andrea and the boys. I deployed very quickly and came back after 4 months. Andrea was so strong, brave and I believe she didn't sleep for the time i was away. I'm still serving and have now completed over 22 years service which i owe everything to andrea because without here support and understanding i would not be where i am to-day. I hope this is ok.

one final thought, I live in South Wales in the UK and my anniversary is on 23 Apr 08. Am I asking the impossible?

Thank you

Andrew"

and after the second draft%u2026

"Wow Allen it's fantastic. It's a good job I'm on my own reading this. I love
it, don't alter a thing. Thank you thank you. Andrew"