Poet’s Corner
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!