The Boss

There’s a pesky little hummingbird
At my feeder today
He thinks he’s the boss
I wish he’d go away!

He perches at the top of the tree
Patiently lying in wait
Hoping to catch an unsuspecting hummer
Sampling the sweet sugary bait.

As soon as they get near
the edge of the feeder
He dashes out to meet them
like he's a Wal-Mart greeter.

But he doesn’t say welcome
He just rushes them away
So that he can keep the feeder
For his greedy self all day.

Well I’ve got news for him
That pesky little hummer
I’m not changing his feeder
For the rest of the summer.

Bunny Talk

I peered into the garden
and overheard the bunny say,
“Oh what a wonderful time
I’m going to have today!
When that pesky little dog comes out
I’ll show him a thing or two.
I’ll have him running in circles
before the day is through.
I’ll nibble on the flowers.
I like the cone flowers best!
They’re my favorite flowers
More scrumptious than the rest!
Then I’ll take a little siesta
during the heat of the afternoon.
Then come out fresh and rested
to welcome the night and the moon.”

Blackberry Picking

After a delicious family dinner
Our hostess cheerfully announced
I have blackberry bushes in need of picking
So out the door we quickly pounced.

Armed with a pint container
Hoping to pack it to the rim
We attacked the blackberry bushes
With vigor and with vim.

Eagerly like little children
Hunting for hidden Easter eggs
We searched for luscious blackberries
Running on not so nimble legs.

Stooping down and looking low
Gave us a super surprise
So many tempting blackberries
Right before our “berry” eyes

One for the container
And one succulent berry to eat
Yum! These juicy blackberries
Are such a tempting treat!

We finished picking for the evening
But made plans to soon come back
The blackberry bushes are just bursting
We could have filled a sack!

Snowed In

 

There we were
surrounded by snow
in every direction.
The twisting mountain road
completely hidden.

We dared not stop in fear
of being snowed in.
So we continued to creep along.
The motor home suddenly
began to skid.

We held our breath
and forgot to breathe.
Tension was in the air.
We prayed out loud
and silently.

The driver corrected the skid
and continued on the lonely road
The snow poles
on each side of the road
served as our only guide.

The time moved so slowly
and the snow appeared endless.
There was no sign of life--
no cars on the road
or animals in the field.

How could we be so foolish?
We failed to listen
to the warnings given.
Check the weather and road conditions
before you start out.

After what seemed like hours
we spotted another vehicle.
Our spirits rose
with this sign of life.
Our prayers had been answered.

A Memory From the Past

Walking home from school
with a bounce in my step
anxious to arrive home.

Finally the welcoming oak tree
comes into view
and beckons me home.

I race down the driveway
arriving at the side door
it slams noisily behind me.

I rush to the kitchen
and see Mother standing in front of the sink
wearing her favorite apron.

She turns to greet me
with a smile
on her face.

I dash to the stove
still warm from lunch
I call out to Mother

“What’s for dinner?”

A Tribute to Emily

Emily Carole Harrison
4/19/1977 - 9/29/2001

Emily, the youngest daughter of my sister, Carole, suffered brain damage at 12 years of age as a result of a terrible accident. After spending 12 years recovering from these injuries, she suffered another tragic accident on September 12, 2001, which eventually ended her life.

The following poem was one of my earlier poems and can be found on page 175 of the book, My Sister, Emily. Emily's sister, Belinda Harrison Jockisch, wrote this book and it tells the story of Emily, a very special and remarkable young lady.

Emily

Though little in body
she was strong in mind,
ready to witness
to all mankind.

She had a zest for living
those who knew her admired,
an inquisitive spirit
that never tired.

Her smile could light up
any gloomy affair.
She wasn’t beyond
accepting a dare.

She never cursed,
a true lady was she.
“Yes Ma’am,” she spoke
with complete sincerity.

Although Emily’s life might
be thought short by some,
the number of lives she touched
is really quite awesome.

I’ll always believe
that Emily was sent from above
with a special job
and the gift of love.

Her Lord called her home,
so now we are sad.
We miss that special smile
that Emily had.

But don’t you cry
or shed your tears,
rejoice that we had her
for twenty-four years!

Now she is up
in heaven above
watching over us
with her gift of love.

Secrets

We all have our secrets
hidden deep inside
Our shame and embarrassment
The private thoughts we hide.

We find it difficult to open up
And let our buried feelings out
We keep them concealed inside
Secrets only we know about.

Why we haven’t told
It’s difficult to say
Maybe we fear reliving
The memories from that day.

Or possibly we feel embarrassment
And hope the secrets will disappear
If we don’t acknowledge our secrets
And things we’ve grown to fear.

Nobody will ever know
Of the crosses that we bear
If we continue to hide them away
refusing to talk about our despair.

But is this a healthy way of life
Keeping thoughts hidden deep inside
Maybe we should just open up
And address these secrets that we hide.