Benjamin Walter (Wally) Brown wrote humorous poems about ageing before he passed away.
Benjamin Walter (Wally) Brown wrote humorous poems about ageing before he passed away.
In typical Kiwi bloke fashion, Benjamin Walter (Wally) Brown found it easier to face one of life's most serious issues with humour.
Wally was a fourth-generation farmer working on Paekākāriki Hill Rd but as with everyone, old age started to catch up on him and with it health complications that greatly affected his physical lifestyle.
For him farming wasn't a job, it was a lifestyle.
It's a Bastard Getting Old: Shining a humorous and poetic light on the physical and psychological challenges that many people face as they age.
He was the kind of bloke who would put down his shovel or shearing handpiece to help a neighbour and was an active member of his local community.
Up until his early 80s, Wally was cutting down trees and shearing sheep but became frustrated when he could no longer walk to the top paddock as quickly as he used to, having to stop for more rests to catch his breath.
"He battled mentally with giving up the farming lifestyle, the only lifestyle he knew," Wally's eldest granddaughter Fenella Brown said.
"He struggled with coming to terms with losing a large part of who he was."
But much to the family's surprise Wally found something to keep him busy - writing poems - but these weren't just any poems, they were witty, humorous poems about the struggles of getting old.
Fenella Brown curated the book with her Pop, Benjamin Walter (Wally) Brown, who wrote the poems.
Over the years Fenella started collating her Pop's handwritten poems every time she visited and started typing them up.
"The poems became Pop's outlet when his body could no longer keep up with his active lifestyle.
"Perhaps as a typical Kiwi bloke, he found it easier to address sometimes serious issues by way of humorous verse.
"As Kiwis, we are very good at avoiding tough conversations, especially men.
"Our 'she'll be right' culture is isolating. Ageing is something we will all experience yet is something that's rarely talked about."
One hundred and thirty-five poems later, Wally managed to find a very relatable way to shine a light on the mental and physical battles many face when navigating ageing that Fenella felt needed to be shared.
"His poems bridge a way to connect to something very raw and honest, something that many struggle with not only physically but mentally as well.
"I decided to publish them in a book and sell them to help fundraise for Pop's self-proclaimed personal taxi service, the Wellington Free Ambulance."
The book is called It's a Bastard Getting Old and is available for purchase online.
"I want this book to help create conversations for families to address how ageing is affecting their loved ones mentally.
"Pop's poems gave us a real insight into how he was feeling and opened up that conversation.
"Being able to have a laugh together helped us get through some tough times.
"My hope in publishing this book is that the poems will help create a conversation that is so important for elderly people and their families and bring some laughter to those facing similar challenging circumstances, just as it did for Pop and our family."
The book also explores the journey of losing his beloved wife Nancy of 59 years.
Making use of the Wellington Free Ambulance service multiple times before he passed away two years ago, Fenella said Wally was a very "satisfied customer" and would often raise money for the service.
All profits from the poem book will be given to them with the goal to raise $10,000 (450 books) by Christmas.
