Remembering the days of old, when father raked the leaves of

Golden, yellow, brown and orange

Jumping into the huge crisp pile, I tossed them all about

As my father raked them on top of me

I would creep out from under the pile laughing.

With leaves hanging on my hair and clothing

What a wonderful season. What a wonderful reason

Just to play in the leaves.

Copyright 2013
All Rights Reserved
published in the Crawfordsville, Indiana newspaper
and book three of the IVY TECH Bloomington, Indiana literary magazine

I miss the days when I’d help my grandmother

Those were the days, I'd always cherish  like no other

Hang the freshly washed clothes out  in the sun to dry on the line

I used to enjoy helping my grandma all the time

They’d gently wave back and forth in the summer breeze for hours

Sitting on the porch swing, looking at the beautiful flowers

And we would return to get them when they were dry.

After, we ate homemade vanilla ice cream and blackberry pie

The clothes always smelled like a fresh spring morning

So nothing ever about this task was ever boring

We’d notice as we folded and put them away

That it was always quite late in the day

The sun is starting to go down on the horizon
Stars will come out as bright as diamonds

Copyright 2013
All Rights Reserved

Poem about my wonderful grandfather


John Walker served his country in WWII

It was something he felt obligated to do.


In combat he risked his life

Even while he was facing strife


He wrote his family back at home

While he was on another roam


Slept, ate and celebrated his birthday

In a foxhole while there was gun play


A short break John took from war

He listened live to Dinah Shore


Met the nice people of France and Holland

There he bought some Chocolate Almonds


Posed in a painting for Martin Koblo

John said, "He was a very nice fellow"


When it was announced that the war had ended

John wrote home and said "I feel quite splendid"


"I’ll be home honey,  just as quick as I can

Can’t wait to see you, Margaret and Ann"


Copyright 2013
All Rights Reserved

Thanksgiving is a time that never will I forget

Hopping in the car for a very long ride to grandma's house

With heavy white frost on the grass, glistening in the sun

Singing songs and counting grain bins to pass the time

Now the frost is melting, we are getting close to the grandparents

Rounding that last bend and then their lane up to the house

Riding up to the house I can see smoke coming from the chimney

To the door and into the house, I see my cousins playing, and smell the Turkey

Grandma's brown and gold tablecloth, covered with her silver

trimmed grey dishes and crystal goblets ready for us to eat.

Have to sit and chat while watching the Macy's parade

Saying our blessings and giving our Thanks as we begin the feast

Copyright 2013
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The assassination of President John F. Kennedy
To many this has always been an unsolved Mystery

JFK was shot in Dallas, Texas on the 22 of November
We are still mourning him, and will always remember

Abraham Zapruder had no idea what he'd be filming
Would be under scrutiny by the public for viewing

Some said the shots came from the grassy knoll
Where they came from no one will ever know

Jackie Kennedy in terrible shock, crawled out onto the limousine
She could not recall doing this, when the Secret Service Intervened

Walter Cronkite reported this shocking news to us in tears
And in all his years of work, he will forever be revered

Jackie in her blood stained suit stood beside Lyndon B. Johnson
When he took the oath of office to be next president of our nation

Oswald told the world that he was a patsy
Jack Ruby shooting him on TV was ghastly

Life Magazine chronicled the events
Filling each page with all JFK contents

To this day there still are reenactments and movies
And everyone like me still feels this is newsworthy

Published in the Crawfordsville, Indiana newspaper Nov. 2024

Copyright 2013
All Rights Reserved