Month: November 1984

Mental – 30th November 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The jelly fell off and slid beyond
All the dogs and cats swimming in the pond
Tom and Jerry were chewing unborn babies
And ran and ran to try and catch rabies
We write on our arms what records to play
We truly starve as wellies might say
Run to find the blood of a few
Try to catch unceasing spew
The wait in anger for the whiskey drop
As they get younger their faces flop
Now the shits run running from your arse
Shitting at the back of the class
This is what Maths does to you
Sends you mental through and through

10th August 2023 – The poetic entries for 1984 are incorrectly dated as I’ve just taken random starting points for them. This poem was written during another particularly boring Maths class (see my diary entries for how much I loved my Maths classes!). I had finished school sometime around May or June though. The poems are in order though. I know this as I hand-wrote them in order into a duplicate book sometime in the late 80s.
The line ‘we write on our arms what records to play’ was real. I would plan what music I wanted to listen to when I got home like this. Writing on our hands and arms was a big thing (which I guess, kind of naturally, turned into getting tattoos) for many of us adolescent kids and I can see my students doing the same now.

Darlings – 28th November 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Have you something to say
Or are you just an act?
Is it a matter of fiction
Or a matter of fact?

Darlings – your makeup has run
It’s running down your cheeks
Darlings – now you’re having fun
But who can plug those leaks?

Later on in life
You’re a future wife
A darling no more
Don’t feel so sore

8th August 2023 – I’ve never really been a fan of make-up on girls despite almost everyone I have dated being obsessed with it. I really enjoyed the freedom of the one girl that didn’t bother with make-up (TLJ) just being able to drop everything and go and do things without having to wait 30 minutes to an hour to prepare themselves for the outside world.

I still have this feeling, though obviously, I have adjusted myself to accept that it is a part of our lives. I also understand that it’s not my business what other people choose to do but sometimes as I’m putting on some moisturiser under my eyes I wonder at the tests that were carried out that show that this stuff makes any difference at all to wrinkles or skin condition. 90% of make-up is in our heads. If girls feel more confident wearing make-up, why is that? I would like to see the industry destroyed.

There are times when good make-up can be stunning but generally teenagers are just experimenting themselves. I suppose it’s better than cutting or shooting up!

Telephone Girl – 25th November 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Ring, ring ‘Hello, is Angela there?’
My mind is spinning in despair
‘Could you hold on for a mo’?’
Please hurry, cos I must go
Anxious seconds tick away
I run through what I have to say
I put the phone down cos I must leave
I look up and breathe a sigh of relief
Telephone girl, you frighten me
Maybe it would help if we could see

8th August 2023 – Angela appears in my 1984 diaries but both Rupert and I don’t recall who she was! Just think what might have been (if this poem reflects a real event)? I wasn’t even brave enough to chat with a girl I fancied on the phone. And as to the prediction in the last line, now that we can see each other on our phones, I don’t think this would have helped at all!

28th May 2024 – Submitted to FOWC with Fandango

Charm Alarm – 24th November 1984

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

As you slide past you touch my side
You float so casually as birds in the sky glide
Eyes meet for the first time, you set my alarm
How can I miss your smiling charm?
Your foot is tapping to the musical beat
I knock back a drink to cool down the heat
The feeling’s strange, you radiate charm
But I feel like I’ve got a needle in my arm
The words are spoken ‘Where shall we go?’
And your charm still sparkles as you say no
That needle pushes deeper into my arm
And I turn off the bell of my charm alarm

7th August 2023 – During my upper school (junior high) years my self-confidence slowly decreased and got even worse after leaving school. I’m not sure what contributed to this beyond my undiagnosed depression. I guess there were many factors and I was also of the feeling that I wanted a girl to like me for who I was, not just because it was part of a chase for sex and consequently, I missed many opportunities. I never initiated anything, always waiting for the girl to make the first move. I felt this was respectful. It was the general consensus at the time though that girls didn’t do the initiating.