Zoo Critters

                            Zoo Critters

When to the Zoo we humans go
To view the zoo's inhabitants,
We look at those wild animals.
Who sometimes move real slow.

We may wonder what they think
As we move from one exhibit 
To another, but when we leave 
I'll bet they snicker and wink

At each other and even laugh aloud.
I can imagine they may say,
"What strange two-legged critters
They've brought for us to see today!"

Visitors

When one is in the hospital
And visitors come to see
Them in their weakened state
And cheer their visage visibly,

Sometimes, indeed, the visitors
Do cheer the poor sick friend.
They tell them, "My! You're lookin' Good!"
Then walk away, only later to amend

To others, when asked of their friend's
Condition, "Well, Poor Fellow looks really
Bad around his eyes and seemed to be in
Terrible pain. We tried to encourage him

And shore up his confidence so's he would
Not know how really sick he looked."
Little did they know how much I ached
For them to go, so I COULD!

them Thar Yankees

                          Them Thar Yankees

Seems to me i've forever heered as how them
Fellers frum up north, above that thar Mason and Dixie
Line, is always goin' on about how they come down
Here and done whipped us all around

Robin Hood's dairy Barn, then marched off
Into the woods, a'whistlin' Yankee Doodle tunes,
Clappin' each other on the backs and laughin'
Like the sounds from in the marshlands of the loons,

A callin' to each other, when they's disturbed.
Well, now. You just listen here to how my granny
Tells it when yore a askin' her. She'll lean back
In her rockin' cheer and talk about her great-great gran'pap

'N how our brave boys out-fought them high 'n mighty
Yankees come down here tryin' ta steal our lands
And take our womenfolk right from out our hands,
Afore we knowed what they's about! But I reckon

We up and showed to them the business ends of
Our shootin' arns . And we'uns what didn't have no guns-
Well, we had swords 'n knives, 'n our bare fists. We sons
'A guns, we fit them off, bare knuckled
Brave young lads our boys wuz.

We gave lives and all we had a fightin' ta keep our dear
South free. We sent them Damned Yankees home in cardboard
Boxes. Them thet waren't daid, we sent them runnin' back
Off up North, thair tails twixt legs; bet their still runnin' hard!

Well, what's all this ruunin, you be doin' now, I ask,
Aw, shucks! I'm just down here runnin' up n' down these hills,
Practicin' for the Boston Marathon which I intend to run
And pretend I'm a Yank or Reb  a runnin' from the winner of the War!
.

'

                Xenogamy
The little boy asked his mommy,
"Where do babies come from?
My friends and I would like to know, see?
We're full of cu'rosity."

"Er...ah, go and ask your daddy, please,
He teaches science at school
And knows how to explain with ease,
Such complicated question with no difficulties."

"Okay" was the quick reply, as he ran off
To seek the man who knew all things.
"Hey, daddy! I need to know where babies
Get here, mommy said you could 'splain me

'xactly where they come from. 
The Daddy gazed into his son's face
And saw the curiosity. He cleared his throat
And began to explain the procedure of xenogamy.  

"You see, son, when flowers bloom in the Spring, 
The man flower makes dust.  Then the honey bee
Comes along and picks up the dust on his feet 
And carries it to the Lady flowers and 

Sprinkles them with it. And pretty soon 
There are little baby flowers.  And then they grow
Into big ones.  And the whole thing begins 
All over again."  The Son looks up at the Daddy

And says, "That's strange!  'Cause Tommy told us
That a man and woman get married
And they hug and kiss and go to a hospital
And bring home a baby! Just wait till I tell them

They'll never believe it!  That babies come from flowers
That are visited by honeybees!"  The Father slapped
His forehead and said, "Oh my! What have I done?  
He will have to wait and find out on his own!"

The Last Waltz

(I composed both these and couldn't decide which I liked the best)

              The Last Waltz

It was a moonlit night,
With stars overhead;
It was the last dance of the evening,
We had only met and yet

Without a doubt I knew
He was the one man
Meant for me but, alas,
When the ship docked, he vanished.

Was he just a figment
Of my imagination,
My mind had invited
To fill my loneliness,

Or was he real,
Did he truly exist?
Over the next several months,
I busied myself teaching

Dance to little girls learning ballet
In my studio
Then one day,
He opened my door,

Standing there smiling
Down at me,
I've been searching
For you all this time, you see.

When I saw your photo
With your ballet class
In the local paper,
I knew I'd found at last,

The one I'd searched for since
We did that one last waltz,
Where you captured my love
And your heart for good.

-------------------------------------------------------

                   The Last Waltz

She'd saved and pinched pennies
Until she had enough to take that cruise
She'd always dreamed of having,
Now here she was on the last evening

Out on the dance floor and oh, 
What a sight she made as she 
Glided and danced with so many
Partners she could not know

Who they all were, yet
She was a picture of charm and grace,
With such an ordinary face
As to be forgettable.

He'd watched her each night
From afar, but until the last waltz,
He'd not approached for fear,
She would not like his gait.

You see, he limped, but she took
In stride, that fact, and smiled at him,
Transforming her face into one he'd 
Never forget. He asked around next 

Morning to determine her identity,
Alas, it was not meant to be,
So they both left separately.
She remembered his quiet charm

And then one day, he showed up at 
The door of her ballet school.
"I looked for you and finally saw
Your photo in the newspaper

With your class of little girls
Learning to dance and performing
Their graceful moves you must
Have taught them in such a charming

Manner. I could not rest until I found you
Each evening when I slept, I saw your face
As we danced and swayed with such grace
Now I've found you and we can dance

Forever together the last waltz again
And again, never to part for life.
A month later she became his wife,
Now, fifty years later, they dance still

Holding each other in their minds, 
As he cares for her
At the end of her life,
The dancer who became his wife.

Umpteen Times

                      Umpteen Times

My Ma used to say to me,
"Now, Billy. I've told you 
A hundred, no, umpteen times,
These trees aren't here to climb."

"But, Ma, why ever would God
Put them here, to grow so tall,
If we boys were not 
Meant to shinny up them all?"

"Now, son, just look at the bark,
You've skint on them with the climbing,
That perhaps may never grow back
From your climbing them as a lark?"

"But, Ma we learnt in Science,
It'll grow back someday.
So why can't we just play
And finish climbing them once?

You never let us get all
The way to the top,
I promise you we'll not fall,
Just won't you please trust us 

When we tell you that we're safe
While scaling them, at least today.
This once, and then we'll shout,
'Ma, look at us, we can see all the way

To town and back!'
 We never got to finish our climb,
Cause Ma would shake her head
And say:

"Billy, I've told you for the umpteenth
Time, get down from there before
You fall! And so, defeated we would
Climb back down to the ground 

Defeated once again by our Ma's fears
Listening to her with hearts so sad,
Cause we knew those trees God placed
Were meant to be climbed by these lads.

Now, as we reflect, on the day of her passing,
We look out with grins on our faces,
And say, "Do you remember the times,
Ma told us, I've told you for the umpteeth time,

Those trees aren't there for you to climb."
 So in memory of her we decided to 
Try just one more time,
Scale up as far as we could go."

Needless as it was, age had crept
Up on us. Anyway, we still could laugh
And sit beneath those trees, but then
Instead we wept. 

 

"The Tinder Box"

                   A Tinder Box

 "Once upon a time,"
So each story begins 
Of when the world was 
Filled with magic sublime.

Anything could happen 
In that wondrous day,
Hans Christian Andersen 
Wrote many a fable

And we have them still
To read and share.
Have you ever read
"The Tinder Box" ?

I did, so many years ago,
And it catches the imagination
Of children every where
To dream of such things

That never exist except
In Fairy Tales,
And, Oh, how it captured
Mine in days of yore  

I've ne'er forgotten,
Such magic and tales,
Which I'd gladly share 
With you, with your kind attention.

It can be found at your
Local library in his collection
Of Fairy Tales. Don't hesitate
To check it out and enjoy

The confection he created 
For every girl and boy
To feast upon and fire up
Their flames of imagination.

  

The Sounds of Silence

                  The Sounds of Silence

I heard the sounds of silence 
In my lonely room,
"Wait!" you cry in amazement,
"That cannot be since 

Silence doesn't make a sound.
It is quiet and makes no noise."

I can hear the beating of my heart
Inside my ears, as blood rushes
Through, proclaiming my fears,
If only you could hear,

Then you would know 
How it overpowers me so; 

This sound of fear and silence.

 

 
 

Railcars

                 Railcars

When my sibs and I were young,
We lived near the railroad tracks,
Always hearing the clickety-clacks
Of trains passing by and during days

We'd run down the street to watch
The flying by of a new Diesel powered engine,
Called The Streamliner with the steamless
Motor,  watching, thrilled beyond reason

To be seeing how fast it went
With never a hint
Of slowing down as it
Rounded curves with no intent

To stop until the engineer desired.
We'd stand there with mouths agog.
Hoping, wishing to catch sight
Of someone waving to us in the light

From a passenger car.
Alas. we waved in vain.
Until we could  hear no more
The long blast on its horn

As it blew for the crossing down the line.
Do you remember the days of the passenger
Train, passing through villages and towns,
When times were simpler all around?

I do!

Quilting

                 Quilting

While casting about for a subject
Beginning with the letter "Q",
I was beginning to think, "O, Heck,
I'll not be able to save my neck."

When my eyes cast about, searching,
Hunting, then gazed upon the table
Next to my sewing machine I use
Most days in endless labor and I saw,

My latest labor in which I endeavor 
To complete the quilt I am working on.
One in a week or less; I make a new one,
Working from dawn to setting sun. 

Of quilts I've made quite a few,
And given away to those people I knew.
It gives me a great amount of pleasure, 
Sharing with family and friends.

Trusting they will receive and treasure,
The gifts I put together with love,
With fabric and batting of cotton.
When I am long gone, I trust they'll

Look upon these quilts with their name 
And mine upon the label,
Then hold the quilt in their embrace,
Remembering me with love and grace.

 





One of the many quilts I've done for babies. 

Patterns

                    Patterns

Our lives are filled with patterns
In every place we see many repeat
Designs if only we look for them.

They shout it in our faces.
"Look at me: don't you see my beauty,
And my lines of stylish grace?"

When we make a piece of clothing.
The fabric has patterns of its own,
Copied from designs found in nature.

"Nature?" you may inquire as you gaze
At me. "Of course!, Don't be amazed
At my reply. Just look about you and 

You'll see how God created each 
And every pattern that man has
Copied from flower and rock,

The skies and all you see.
Just observe - the pyramids and
The mountain peaks are great 

Examples whereof I speak,
The whirlpool of concentric circles,
Becomes for us the simple toy

We call the Slinky -  and here's the kick!
The spear man invented, it's just a sharp
Rock on the end of a stick. 

The crocheted doily - nah, just a flower
Copied called Queen Anne's Lace,
The trifold hat of the French -

Just copied from the Trefoil Flower
Designs created by The Almighty who
In the beginning, created world and everything

In it, including flowers, birds, beasts and men.
Don't forget and look around you, friend,
Search for designs, here, forever, Amen!"

Ornery

                 Ornery

It has been said of Jim, quite often,
Because of his truculent, stubborn determination 
Although it causes endless vexation
Of others, he displays a natural born orneriness. 

"Why, I do declare," states Jim's Mama in despair
"I don't know where he got it from!
His daddy is so patient and kind,
And never seems to mind

Agreeing to what or how stuff is done.
But not our Jim! He never will agree
To what's proposed, cause when he
Gets somethin' in his mind

Not even dynamite could change his aim,
His mind is as firmly set as the Rock 
Of Gibraltar: it couldn't be more firmly fixed,
Than that ornery idea of his.

That's just the way it is,
In that stubborn heart of his.
One thing I know, however,
Is that for the one he chooses to love,

It will be forever!"
That's exactly what she said, 
When asked about his turn of mind.
Now ask me and I will say,
 
"I'm so happy he found me,
And since it's just my Jim and me,
Now he's not by half so ornery.
Whoopee!"
 

No One

               No One

In a world filled with sin and hate,
Mixed in with love and caring,
Sometimes we see some intimidate
And push others around - 

Yet mostly we just say, "Tsk, tsk"
And click the tongue as if to say,
"How sad," then like mere observers
Wind up looking the other way.

Does no one really see,
Are we all so unaware,
So that when we see big bullies,
On other nations encroach,

Across the borders and take over,
We send emissaries to say,
"No, no! You can't do that,"
Then watch it taking place,

Because we are afraid to 
Stand and defend as once we did.
Now prefer we to ask for weak
Diplomacy, just look the other way.

Where do we learn such cowardice?
Is it learned or is it taught?
"Just mind your own business,
Keep your fingers out of it."

When children in the schoolyard,
Are circled round about and watch
Some one get pummeled hard,
Mothers warn, "Just you keep out of it,

If you see someone get hit and pushed,
 I don't want you gettin' hurt!
You don't need to be involved,
In such a bloody rout. Stay out of it!'

Ah yes, does No One care,
Longer than just a glance,
Then look the other way.
In this world with bullies and hate

Today? No One? 

Medicines

                  Medicines

It would seem as though for every ill,
Exists a medicine of liquid or pill,
Created  to cure or treat at will.

Does your heart murmur, day in and out?
There is a monitor for that, there is no doubt.
Or perhaps you have "The Trots"

Or ye sinuses are clogged with...mucus?
Er, you get the idea, of that I'm certain,
Somehow, that from something we're hurtin'

With some minor ache or pain.
Waiting to feel whole again,
So we can feel mostly better!

Do you remember taking Castor Oil,
In days of bygone youth,
And we would have to hold our noses,

To swallow down the stuff?
The illnesses were quite enough
To survive, without the agony of cures.

Say, have you seen my walking cane?
I know I put it somewhere..oops!.
There went my memory out again!

Linsey Woolsey

When first the settlers from Great Britain to this country came,
They brought with them a fabric by the name
Of Linsey Woolsey for to cover their frames,
And keep them warm in wintertime.

One thing about this common clothing,
You see, it often was slightly scratchy,
Even itchy, but inexpensive to produce,
So it was widespread in its use.

Why call it by such a title? 
It was a clever combination,
Made of cotton or linen, plus wool;
Clothing many a generation

Of common folk for years.
I don't think that I would care 
For such a roughly woven stuff
Though it would keep me warm enough.

From fifteenth century was said to come,
'Twas worn by poor folk all 
They grew all the stuff they needed,
To weave the cloth for short and tall.

Now this poem may also be called
Lynsy Wolsye as it defines a mixture 
Or Jumble of incongruity,
Surely you can clearly see? 

Ken

               Do Ye Ken?

In the land of the Scots,
It was often asked of a girl or boy,
"Aye, me Bonny lass or lad,
Do ye ken, or not?"

The question had nae to do,
With who she were,
But inquired instead
If she understood..

That term is ne'er heard
E'er more in these modern times,
But I feel 'tis needed more
Than e'er before,

Because we all run about
Oblivious to truth,
Searching for answers
When we just need more couth,

It still should be used to
Stop and ask (as in the land
Of the Scots, that once it was)
"Do ye ken or not?"

Jealousy

                     Jealousy

"I cannot bear the way he speaks of her!"
The female mutters to herself,
"H0w dare he to replace me,
I can see his thoughts of her 
Occupying all he does throughout our days
Added to his endless streams of praise!"

"We did just fine till she came along, 
And now his feelings for her so very strong,
I'll not be able to break the hold 
She has over him, stroking and caressing.
Always gently expressing how sweet she is,
She'd better watch or I'll scratch out

Her beady eyes, puffy and looking oh, so wise.
How dare he bring her into our happy home
That's just meant for we two alone.
He calls her Sweetie Pie!
Oh, I can no longer bear it!"
So saying that, the Maltese flicked her tail, Leaving the man alone with his "Sweetie Pie".

Well, there was no way out but that thing die!
And soon. She'd wait till they were all alone,
Catching the enemy all unaware,
So when her beloved returned home,
She'd pretend ignorance and so then
He would be hers alone again. 

Death to that thing they call a Parrot!
There would never be evidence to convict,
No feathers, no scrap of that bird
Left. Just the perch upon which she sat
As she was closely watched 
   by his possessive cat!

Information, Please!

                  Information, Please!

In telephone's days of infancy,
Operators would inquire, "Number, please?"
Callers then asked for information
About location in the nation
Of a searched-for party. 

Those were the simple days 
When people were afraid 
To share the simplest personal facts;
But the great information highway 
Was just beginning to be paved.

How many places have we shared 
Our personal information to the nation,
Without a single thought or care -
We give it all.
And have no feelings of beware.

Doctor's offices, and employment applications,
Credit card applications, resumes for positions,
Requests for loans and new bank accounts,
Social media; There is no lacking of amount 
Of information that we spout 

Out upon The Internet.

And then we're taken by surprise
Upon learning that some guys
Unknown have stolen our identity.
Oh please! We can't be that stupid!
Really?  Information, please!

Hit Man

                 Hit Man

The hit man sneaks in unaware,
He has no sympathy to spare,
Just does the job and takes the pay,
Uncaring for the life he dares
To end, he goes his quiet way again.

Does he then go home to wife
Caress her with hands that held a knife,
Or gun; With love tucking children in
Pulling covers up under their chin?
What is he then - family man or hit man?

Glances

                     Glances

He sits staring into space
As though off into another dimension
Oblivious to the lovely eyes
Casting adoring glances
His way, hoping for his attention.

She wonders what he thinks about
And dreams of when he'll turn and see
How worthy of his thoughts is she.
There! He turns about and glances
Waving in her direction.

She smiles; waves in return and waits,
Only to have him pass her by,
To take the hand of the girl nearby.
The lovely eyes watch them stroll away
With never even a moment's glance.

Have you by any chance,
Ever sent the unnoticed glance
Of unrequited admiration?
Does it's memory burn in your mind,
And bring a smile at its recall?

Fast-track

              The Fast-track

'Tis said the way to get ahead
Is to get on the fast track.
Full steam ahead is what they used
To say when I was growing up way back.

Now is a fast track like the ponies race?
Or is it when the mommies chase to
Catch their progeny down the garden path,
Shouting. "Just you wait 'til I catch you!?"

Oh, no! The term simply indicates
That young persons cannot wait
To take a whirl
And make their mark in the business world.

Have you ever taken the fast track
and where did it lead?
Happiness -success-a great life?
Or were you just happy to stop and sit back?

Elegance

             Elegance

Always I've wished for elegance,
To be tall and graceful and fancy,
Full of gracefulness always.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be,
It seems my inheritance was instead,
To be cute, smart, petite;

Life of the party; ideas in my head,
Quips forever coming from my lips,
Thinking of something funny to say.

Yep, in me, there ain't no elegance,
No eloquence - not a chance -
Guess I'm destined just to be

A product of my inheritance...
But, then, ain't we all?
 

Danger Is My Name

               Danger Is My Name

You will find me everywhere, 
Seeking out the unaware.

My aim is to cause chaos,
I am never at a loss.

The child who senses not the danger
Of speaking to a friendly stranger.

 One who texts and drives,
Bringing about the loss of lives,

People wrapped up in anger,
Find me too late
My name is Danger.

You see, add a D to anger, 
And you can be led into
Danger.

Beware of me!
I roam about searching,
Prowling to see

Whom I can find!
Will you be next?
Danger is my name!

Carrots

                   Carrots

They're orange and crunch,
Some people like to munch
On them.

Not I!

You see, I have dentures,
And the two don't mix well.
If you're in the same boat as I,
Then you surely know why!

Hey, don't weep for me,
Cause you see,
That leaves more
For Bugs Bunny.

And the Easter Bunny, too.
Besides, I like my carrots cooked
Thoroughly.