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Aileen Seeman, Basehor, is this week's contributor.

Et Erne

The century has come and gone, marking change.

Gone are waving grasses, pastures green --

In their stead -- highways, service stations, -- strange

To those who wish still to till the soil,

To those who care not for cities bright,

With lights and noise to fill the night.

To those who at all these recoil.

The highways -- lined with houses, dart

Across the earth in concrete ribbons,

Teeming with the steady stream of traffic.

Where are they all going?

Man's search is never ending.



Where yesteryear were found lush trees and shade

Beneath whose branches grass grew green,

Sheltered streams and nooks no longer seen;

Now shopping centers, housing units pervade.

Man calls this progress,as he moves toward fame.

The rush of living -- recreation -- speed --

The bigness -- cities spreading -- school expansion need

But over all -- God alone remains the same.

A friend loaned Seeman a copy of his book, "The Garagenous Zone," in which he explains how to clean out an overfilled garage. Seeman wrote this poem in appreciation:

The Garagenous Zone

Your book is quite delectable

As well as so collectible

And now I know it's time to renovate.

There is such a great collection

And it brings recollection

That the Great Depression Years were not so great.

I have stacks and piles of treasures

And I know I must take measures

To rearrange, or perhaps, eliminate.

Then there is always the garage sale

To dispense this rather large bale

Of treasures I've collected to this date.

To some dear friends I could dispense them

And also recompense them --

The friends, I mean, for what they've done for me.

I'm sure they all appreciate

Each book and box and sack and crate

And at last, dear friends, at long, long last, I'm free!

My Drinking Problem

I entered the hospital for surgery.

They dried up all of my spit1

It took me 24 hours

Before I recovered it!

At last I was dismissed from the hospital,

But I took with me this insatiable thirst.

Tho I'm rid of the pain in the backside,

I'm wondering which is the worst.

I drink orangeade, lemonade, Kool-Aid

Orange juice, grapefruit juice, Coke;

Hot tea, iced tea, ginger ale

My drinking bill has me 'most broke!

We're invited for cocktails on Friday.

So thirsty I scarcely think.

I'm wondering if this will assist me

To curb my compulsion to drink.

Or will it increase the temptation

And take me quite unaware,

And lead me straight to addiction?

(I think I'm already there!)

This poem was written about Seeman's neighbor's pet rooster:

To Doodles and his Cock-a-Doodle-Doo

It's so pleasant every morning to hear you greet the day --

It is happiness, encouragement, to send us on our way.

It sustains us -- do you know exactly what you do?

When you greet us every morning with your cock-a-doodle-doo?

We smile and go about our chores with renewed energy and derring-do

When we hear that happy little call -- cock-a-doodle-do,

So we say "Thank you, Doodles" from your neighbors far and near

For giving joy to start our day. You are our Chanticleer!