This is an interesting one. My grandad seems to be talking about his mindset at the time he wrote this poem (and, to be fair, the rest of his life) and how he rationalized things. The last verse is a bit of a teaser for the next piece and takes us back into more of a historical/rural England direction.
Young or old, love is the same
So clean and so bright like eternal flame
Walking along life’s winding road
Bearing your dreams like a wondrous load.
Eyes maybe dim out but the thoughts are clear
Sight may fade yet there is no fear
Visions form in the front of your mind
Of love so pure and thoughts so kind.
As you wander along, alone in the fields
You eyes may see hedges but your mind still reels
About happenings which occurred many years ago
And quiet like a river our thoughts start to flow
You remember your school days,your friends and your play
When the hours weren’t long enough in a day
Youthful fancies dance through the brain
Like the wind in the cornfield waving the grain.
You remember the hard times and miser rings loud
But don’t dwell on this subject, get out of this cloud
And into the sunshine of happiness and love
For together they fit like a hand in its glove.
Most of us are lucky and live a good life
We bring up a family with a sweet hearted wife
So be content with your treasures though they dont always glow
And give all of your gratitude to those who you know.
I have written of Marston and written with pride
And of the canal where the barges do ride,
Not so many now and those coloured blue
Not like the old days with all colours true.
Yet the barges were homes with children, not just a boat
But a full happy family who lived life afloat.
With dignity and pride and red neckerchief neat
With clay pipe, white pinafore and dog at their feet.
These were the Boatees or Bargees by name
And the canal without them will never be the same.
Craig Rathbone - Writer 
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