THOSE WINTER NIGHTS

Editor's note: "On winter evenings many years ago, basking in the warmth of the old base-burner in the "sitting room," two little boys were not very enthusiastic about retiring to their unheated bedroom," Dad wrote as the introduction to this poem. January isn't here yet, but since I'm seeing reports of heavy snowfall in other parts of the country, I figured this is a good time to remind ourselves of what it was like in the "good old days."

In our old farm house, long ago,
When I was five or six, or so,
And January came along,
And winter set in good and strong,
We hated so to go to bed,
In chilly quarters overhead;
My younger brother Frosty, he
Was two years younger yet than me.

We hesitated on the stair,
For it was mighty cold up there;
Both were entertaining dread
Of climbing in our frigid bed,
But Mother countervailed our fear
By gently nudging from the rear;
We were still reluctant, though,
Those winter evenings, long ago.

Finally, in our straw-tick bed,
With rafters creaking overhead,
Covers tucked around us tight,
We snuggled for the winter night;
And when the angry north wind came,
To rattle window sash and frame,
Little mounds of drifted snow
Appeared upon the sill below.

After snuffing out the light,
Mother vanished from our sight,
Quietly down the narrow stair,
Leaving us to shiver there;
Wrapped in flannel, at our feet,
Two flat irons provided heat;
No electric blanket, though,
Those winter nights of long ago!

--The Buckeye Poet (1991)

JOKERS UP FRONT

Editor's note: "I guess there's nothing wrong in acting like a simple-minded idiot, if that's what you're being paid to do," Dad wrote as the introduction to this poem.

A little nonsense, now and then,

Is relished by the best of men;

And very rare indeed is one

Who can't enjoy a bit of fun.

Through the ages, fools have known

A favored place before the throne;

For even monarchs like to smile,

And be amused once in a while.

Ancient peoples tried to bring

Some entertainment to their king;

And sought to add a lighter touch

By hiring jokers, fools and such.

History tells us George the Third

Was quite a crusty, sad old bird;

But had a jester on his staff,

To horse around, and make him laugh.

Queen Victoria, even she

Had not one royal fool, but three!

It took some doing to erase

That sour expression from her face.

Modern leaders hesitate

At hiring Jokers Designate;

But that's okay, for quite a few

Are in the House -- and Senate, too!

--Acres of Verse (1994)

A BIT SHORT

Editor's note: Given the economic woes of the world (and the folks who occupy it), this poem seems appropriate for this week. And given that it was written some 25 years ago, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same!

Financial experts tell us

We should have a savings plan,

And get the thing established

Just as quickly as we can.

For, fiscal independence

Is the goal to keep in sight,

And saving on a schedule

Is the way to do it right.

You can't expect perfection,

And you'll have to understand

That things won't always happen

In the order you have planned.

I've had a little trouble,

As I realized I would,

In sticking to my schedule,

But I've done the best I could

In looking down the road a bit,

It's pretty plain to see

How my financial planning

Has been working out for me.

If I continue saving

At about my present rate,

I'll owe a million dollars

At the age of ninety-eight!

Hominy Grits (1986)

MEASURE TWICE

Some years ago, when I was just

A bit a-helpin' Pa,

He used to say, "Son, measure twice

Before you start to saw."

Measure twice before you start

To saw a board in two,

It's a pretty good rule, no matter

What the job you have to do.

I've thrown away a board or two,

And, some I've had to splice;

And all because I didn't take

The time to measure twice!

It always pays to double check,

Before you carry on,

For once you've cut a board too short,

The time you saved is gone.

And so, in life, at work or play,

Remember Pa's advice,

And always, before you start to saw,

Be sure to measure twice!

OCTOBER

Editor's note: "Every bard since Homer has composed a verse or two about autumn," Dad wrote as the introduction to this poem. "Surely one or two more won't hurt much."

I love the Autumn season,

When a nip is in the air;

And silver patches glisten

On the rooftops, here and there.

The frost is on the pumpkin,

And the beans are in the bin;

A bumper crop of yellow corn

Is being gathered in.

Overhead, in vee formation,

Flocks of geese are flying high,

Winging on to warmer quarters,

Underneath a southern sky.

This bright October weather

Really suits me to a T;

If it stayed like this forever,

It would be okay with me!

But I know a change is coming

'Round the corner just ahead,

And I always face the Winter

With a little bit of dread.

We can't control the weather,

But I'd give 'most anything

If we could skip a season,

And go straightway into Spring!

--Eighty After Eighty (1995)