Of old the village held an annual feast,
Plain were the dishes set upon bare board;
Beef, beer and bread no doubt was feast indeed
When little could the labouring folk afford.

Today the coffee morning takes its place
A monthly buzz of gossip of the day
And cream and chocolate and sugary tarts
Are merely snacks to pass the time away

Too often glued to screens and travelling
Some seldom met and so let contacts sag;
Let’s cheer communal living, face to face,
Ban texts and emails – long may all tongues wag!

_{Ishbel Beatty, April 2017}