The Jumblies … and dementia

Dementia Diary 9:  Dementia & The Jumblies …

 You may remember that I’ve recently become a grandma ….. which is soooo much more important than my diagnosis of blooming inconvenient dementia.

AND, as part of my new and extensive grandmotherly duties, I took it upon myself to reacquaint myself with Edward Lear’s  Book of Nonsense, planning to read it to my new grandson.

 My parents used to read the book to me when I was a child and I followed in their footsteps by regularly reciting to my son my two favourite poems from this book.

 During this process of remembering, it occurred to me that  MY experience of dementia seems startlingly reminiscent of the adventures of the Jumblies, who feature in these poems,

 AND THEY    went to sea in a sieve!

 … so I’m following, but not totally literally!  the inspiring example set by said Jumblies:

with the same gleeful appreciation as these mythical creatures, I’m determined to continue my life’s, mainly cheery, journey, in spite of the many patronising and/or gloomy predictions and unsolicited advice of some well-meaning (!?) folk.

 AND so,  to the intrepid Jumblies …

 They went to sea in a Sieve they did,  in a Sieve they went to sea.

In spite of all their friends could say,

on a wintry morn, on a stormy day, in a Sieve they went to sea.

And when the Sieve turned round and round and everyone cried, 

You’ll ALL  be drowned   they called aloud:  

We don’t care a button and we don’t care a fig, in a Sieve we’ll go to sea.

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

They sailed away in a Sieve they did, in a Sieve they sailed so fast, 

with only a beautiful pea-green veil,

tied with riband by way of a sail,

to a small tobacco-pipe mast.

And everyone said who saw them go: 

Oh won’t they soon be upset you know!

For the sky is dark and the voyage is long and happen what may,

it’s extremely wrong, in a Sieve to sail so fast!

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

The water soon came in it did, the water it soon came in.

So to keep them dry, they wrapped their feet in pinky-paper all folded neat

and they fastened it down with a pin.

And they passed the night in a crockery-jar and each of them said 

How wise we are!

Though the sky be dark and the voyage be long

Yet we never can think we were rash or wrong, while round in our Sieve we spin!

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

And all night long they sailed away

and when the sun went down they whistled and warbled a Moony Song

to the echoing sound of a coppery gong,

in the shade of the mountains brown.

O, Timberloo,  how happy we are,

When we live in a Sieve and a crockery-jar,

and all night long, in the moonlight pale,

we sail away with a pea-green sail,

in the shade of the mountains brown!

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

They sailed to the Western Sea they did, to a land all covered with trees.

They brought an Owl and a Useful Cart

and a pound of Rice and a Cranberry Tart

and a Hive of Silvery Bees

and they brought a Pig and some Green Jackdaws

and a lovely Monkey with lollipop paws

and 40 bottles of Ring-Bo-Ree ….. and no end of Stilton Cheese.

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

And in 20 years they all came back, in 20 years or more and everyone said: 

How tall they’ve grown!

For they’ve been to the Lakes and the Torrible Zone and the hills of the Chankly Bore!

And they drank their health and they gave them a feast

Of dumplings made of beautiful yeast.

And everyone said: 

If only we live.

We too, will go to sea in a Sieve –

To the hills of the Chankly Bore!

Far and few, far and few are the lands where the Jumblies live, their heads are green and their hands are blue … and they went to sea in a Sieve!

… Safe journey, everyone.  Much love Lynne xxx