40 Years (and a Thousand Tears)

A lifetime of half measures brought me to this place
In recovery from illness, it seemed I wasn’t fit to keep up the pace

I arrived in here in McCauley with nothing to show
But soon found there were good people, ones worthwhile to know

And though I was exhausted and felt very out of place
Somehow here I was excluded from the whole rat race

These people who were not familiar and certainly not kin
Opened their arms in many ways and took me in

The core of this group of neighbours, and friends who lived close by
Volunteered with a paper, and writing they encouraged me to try

We stuck together, joked, laughed, wrote, and even sometimes cried
And we would gather close together when a community member died

The names of those who passed all mean so much to me
They are written on my heart and will stay until my soul is free

The main rally point for us is the Boyle McCauley News
And it gives every person here a chance to share their views

There were times when I summoned up the strength to write
And when I did so I spoke my views and was told I had no right

But our brave, outspoken editor stood by my side
Dear Paula, these past years have been quite a ride

I feel the paper makes my home Edmonton’s best community
It adds to our hope of always living happy, cared for, and free

For forty years now, our paper goes to McCauley and Boyle Street homes
And it reaches even those who spend their time here on Earth isolated and alone

This newspaper gives our residents a huge source of pride
Because with it we have one heart, one soul, one mind

The Boyle McCauley News is the glue that holds thousands together
And empowers us to face the world – even with our often lousy Edmonton weather