Verses from the Garden
Backyard Camping
It was a warm Indian summer night
The kind where the moon shined with fear and fright
And lit up the backyards like daylight
A huge maple tree waved side to side
Its brown leaves laid in a pile at roadside
This is not the time to be horrified
In the far corner of a dark backyard
A tent staked like a headstone in a graveyard
A beacon scoured like in a prison yard
Lines were drawn in preparation for battle
Its time to depart everyone skedaddle
The tent walls shuddered, and the poles rattled
I’ll do anything to be let in
This is not the way I want to begin
The moonlight suddenly went from bright to dim
From the Author
Growing up in the 1960's my brothers and friends would spend many a summer night camping in our backyards. When Jack Frost arrived in autumn our camping fun was just about done.
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Jeepers Creepers There Goes Another Pair of Sneakers
Squinting out into the gloomy darkness
My heart, beat with a piercing sharpness
Slowly marching through the gate
Questioning the other guys’ fate
Shaking off a shiver from some ghostly presence
The moon light flickered illuminating a picket fence
Crept several feet and pointed down
At one hundred bumpy lumps of brown
A potent stench flared through both my nostrils
One deadly sniff and it’s a trip to the hospital
Jeepers creepers there goes another pair of sneakers
Golly gee, that sure burns my peepers
Gosh all, the pooch sure is beastly
Woe is he; I couldn’t be happier that it’s not me
Let out a bloodcurdling scream
Ran in circles around the crime scene
The sign read, caution dog mines
There’s no time to read between the lines
Racing side by side leaving behind our pride
Hit full stride, and slipped into a dumpster dutty glide
Stutter-stepped to the left and spun to the right
That dog’s bark isn’t worse than its bite
Not taking the warning to heart
He fell face first smelling something more than a fart
Jeepers creepers there goes another pair of sneakers
Golly gee, that sure burns my peepers
Gosh all, the pooch sure is beastly
Woe is he; I couldn’t be happier that it’s not me
From the Author
Before leash laws and pooper scoopers, dogs had their freedom. There was no bigger danger to your Chuck Taylor All-Stars than a backyard dump.
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Verses from the gardeN
Happiness Given Away
Pried open one eye, and rolled to my other side
Jumped to the cold floor, shuffled through the dresser drawer
Skipped the fifth step, and slipped out the house with pep
Ran down the long street, quiet not a chirp nor a peep
A smile makes people feel joyful and gay
Happiness that we can all easily give away
Something nice to remember throughout the day
Our time is running away, there’s no time to stay
Bolted through the door, found just what I was looking for
Legs shook and waddled, as its head jostled and bobbled
Sniffed three short breaths, blasted a loud snort to its left
What could be the deal, it ate twice during its last meal
A smile makes people feel joyful and gay
Happiness that we can all easily give away
Something nice to remember throughout the day
Our time is running away, there’s no time to stay
Bucked like a bronco, charged in rage like a bull
Hand clutched in a chain; fingers throbbed with piercing pain
A breath of relief, vaporized in a whiff that reek
No reason to pout, nothing to make a stink about
A smile makes people feel joyful and gay
Happiness that we can all easily give away
Something nice to remember us by throughout the day
Our time has run away, there’s no time to stay
Maybe this just wasn’t my lucky day
From the Author
A smile releases a powerful chemical reaction in the brain that can make you feel happier.
Is that a smile I see, sure looks it to me
A gentle heartened smile without limits
Is that a smile I see, sure looks it to me
The kind that raised another person’s spirits
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The Wheel Rolls Round and Round
A loud snore from the floor, just behind the door
That old boy, barked and toyed, shivered with joy
Sandpapery red tongue hung as the door swung
Let out a wail, and sailed out faster than airmail
Sneakers squeaked as feet dragged across the concrete
Mark hemmed and hawed, and then he hauled
Shoulders rolled forward, head lowered, feeling tortured
Stopped in distress, feeling depress, cargo laid in a mess
Tire is flat, even that big old cat can see that
Reached out his arm, don’t be alarm, met no harm
Held an oil can in one hand, here’s the plan
Behold, that old wheelbarrow began to roll
Stood at the gate and couldn’t wait to lift the freight
The squadron of four, let out a roar ready for war
Yep, gained a little pep in their step
But that pep, in their step, deflated to a schlep
Things went amuck, disaster struck, more bad luck
Moose let loose with the strength of mighty Zeus
Tighten his brace, increase his pace, off in a raced
Like a big horse, pushed with force, rolled on course
Pound for pound, not backing down, trotted through town
It works, like artwork, all was needed was teamwork
An honest genuine sign of being a friend of mine
Blushin, isn’t that somethin, there goes that pumpkin