The Old Fashioned Book of Rhymes
By Shirley Robertson
Copyright 2012 Shirley Robertson
Smashwords Edition
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Mother's Hands
Mother's hands were full
teaching her children
the golden rule
Mother's hands were fast
serving others first,
herself last
Mother's hands were true,
cleaning sticky fingers
covered with glue
Mother's hands changed diapers
feet she held in one hand,
the other held the wipers
Mother's hands were soft before
as the years passed,
they grew calloused and sore
Mother's smile stayed bright
when her skin loosened
and her joints became tight
Mother put family first,
loving them at their best
as well as their worst
here's the lesson we learn:
Mothers were made to love
and give love in return
Accented Lady
accented lady
across the sea
teacher of prose
poet at heart
literary, like me
Stars Shine
the brightest stars
shine in Kentucky
twinkle persistently
in constancy
sparkle love and kindness
friendship and fineness
Tail-Gater
I don't understand when I drive to work
why the driver up ahead of me always is a jerk
jamming on his brakes
when there's no reason to
I guess he just is sightseeing
with nothing else to do
A Memorial Day Poem:
Arlington Cemetery
Among the many, beauty
Leaves that rustle in the wind
I saw his face look out at me
And I looked back at him
Puppy Dogs
Dogs will keep you warm
by sitting on your feet
If they had opposing thumbs,
they'd bring you food to eat
Dogs will do whatever you want them to do
But most importantly, they'll always love you
River Path
walk down the river path
gather twigs and leaves
too early yet for flowers
not so for trees
leaves like patches on silk
mud the color of chocolate milk
cool the chill still in the air
come with me, I'll take you there
Bogs
muddy, slopey, marshy bogs
dead vegetation, moss on logs
rainy, sleety, icy winds
blossoms, buds, insects on limbs
winter begins what finishes spring
beauty's continuance is the thing
Patience is a Virtue
Patience is a virtue
Many people believe
Good things come to those who wait
But don't you be deceived
The terminally impatient
Are the ones to succeed
As the slow get behind
The quick take the lead
By the time patience is forty
And getting its first break
The impatient have already retired
And moved on for goodness sake
When patience turns sixty-five
And looks to the years ahead
The fast ones have grown older
Impatience is already dead
I Want to Take a Picture of the Wind
I want to take a picture of the wind
I want to hold the stars in my hand
I want the world to understand
I want to see my dear friend again
Short
Being short has its advantages
But I don't know what they are
I can't reach my kitchen cabinet
Because it is just too far
So I keep food out in the open
And the mice get to it first
But that is not the bad part
I will tell you something worse
For as long as I remember
I've always wanted to teach
But I gave up the ambition
The blackboard was out of reach
I will go through life an angry and
Petite and frustrated sort
Always wishing that I were taller
Knowing I'll always be short
Country Wind
The country wind blows
through her auburn hair
The daisies grow wild
under feet that are bare
The water splashes
in the fishing pond
The apples smell sweet
from the orchard beyond
Sunbeams sail across
butterfly-filled skies
So beautiful, it brings
a tear to her eyes
My Teddy Bear
My teddy bear is all worn out
I've had him all my life
His eye's rubbed off, he lost an ear
There's not much left but snout
He sits at the table in a chair
I take him with me everywhere
When teacher isn't watching
He shows up in class
I have to think quickly
and put him away fast !
Gulls and Doves
On overnight excursions
Into nature's deepest coves
When the only others are
Gulls, deer, coyote, and doves
When the only sound of night
Goes cheep, cheep, cheep
And the chorus sings and sings
Until I fall asleep
When the only blossoms are
Wild, random, and free
When the finch and the sparrow
Are calling out to me
That's when I know
I'm serenely in my place
Among the highest evolved
Of the natural race
The Camel that Barked
I can't say I like camels the least
In fact, they are one of my favorite beasts
I've known one camel since I was young
He likes to lick me with his long, fat tongue
But wait—I'm only dreaming
It's not what it's seeming
Because I just woke up
To find my little pup
The Weatherman
The weatherman says pack an umbrella
But he should have checked with the other fella
Because it was sunny all day and hot
He said it would rain but it did not
Whenever there's moisture in the air
And it is raining everywhere
That's when the weatherman will say
It will be dry and sunny today
When the wind blows cold and warm
And it looks like it's gonna storm
The weatherman says it will be eighty
Pleasantly warm and a little shady
Then the tornado touches down
It's only inches from the ground
It tosses you up in the air
You can see it twirl up there
You shouldn't listen to the weatherman
He can't tell the ocean from the land
He can't tell the wet from the dry
Don't listen to him and that is why
The Office
Monet's fuzzy landscapes, inspiration on the wall
Amy and I, confederates, each morning in the hall
Soft light shines down on tropical palms
Start the coffee brewing, enjoy the morning calm
Elevator doors whisper a warning
He booms “Get to work” instead of “Good morning”
Phones begin stirring, faxes on the floor
Adrenalin rush starts, nerves brace for more
Frowning concentration, screen comes to life
Force the panic into order using logic like a knife
Noon comes and goes chained to the chair
One o'clock arrives with its hungry stare
Finally, some progress, time to talk and laugh
Sharing a mission, we're the office staff
Relive it in our dreams
Rehearse it on the road
Repeat it again and again
Till we're very old
Meaning—is there any?
Each person makes that call
Friendships form and maybe
That's the purpose of it all
Parking Garage
We turned into a parking garage on Fourth Street
Looked like a good place to park
But as we descended into the bowels of the earth
It suddenly became very dark
We kept driving downward and into dead ends
Beyond which lay more parking spaces
Soon we saw people searching for exits
That they were puzzled showed on their faces
We finally parked and feeling relieved
Proceeded to pass through a nook
Got lost and came face to face with a wall
A haven for rapists and crooks
Suffice it to say we found our way
But not without effort and bother
But next time I have to pick a garage
I'll certainly choose another
The Sandbar
We went one day to see the river winding
Walking for miles, looking and then finding
A sandbar which could be seen far away
And growing closer, beckoned us to stay
For it looked just like a swimming beach to us
With fine-grained sand and driftwood and such
The main channel of the river flowed by it on both sides
It took the mighty Missouri River long and wide
To hold such a lovely piece of land
And still have room for barges on the other hand
The sun sparkled off the sand as a crane touched down
The ground too hot to touch was what he found
He took off again as we got closer still
The only thing between us and the sand, a hill
Then we saw something we had not seen before
Washed up purposely, it seemed, onto the shore
We looked and looked again for it didn't seem right
For two wooden deck chairs to have drifted into sight
They sat next to one another on the sandbar giving
The appearance that this uninhabited island once held living
Beings who had long since moved away
Leaving chairs where they once stayed
But from our vantage point up on the cliff
We couldn't tell if they were really chairs or drift
Wood that just came to rest in pairs
To make us wonder if someone had put it there