Poem: Grandpa's Garden

Grandpa's Garden

In his garden
clean and neat,
my grandfather
his vigil keeps.

The faeries in
the rhubarb patch
know his gait,
and await the latch
to unlatch the gate —
for it's grandpa they await.
His smile,
his laugh,
his love-torn hands
work the soil —
soothe the land.

So when grandma
beckons him
to leave the work
and come on in,
it's with a tear
they see him go
and close the gate.

But don't you know?
Grandma thinks
them happenstance
the things that
beckon grandpa back
down his cobbled
garden path…
like unleashed vines,
misplaced rakes,
garden boulders,
fallen grapes.

For the faeries in
the rhubarb patch
know his gait
and await the latch
to unlatch the gate —
for it's grandpa
they await

Harvest time
comes and goes —
the faeries move south
with the snows.
South, right into
grandpa's home
to take-up
residence downstairs
or behind the
'clining chair…
quietly anticipating
grandpa's timely
dinner nap
when they can curl-up
on his lap —
or better yet
near his heart —
so big and soft
( until he starts
to heave and snore ).

But they don't mind:
they love grandpa
( and so do I ).

____________________

I wrote this for Grandpa, on his 80th birthday ( Halloween, 1991 )... and meant to post it on Halloween, on his 95th birthday a few weeks ago. But I completely spaced it. Good thing he doesn't know what the internet is.

:)

Poem: Strangers

Strangers.

When upon life's tangled roads,
a stranger you do meet —
in torn and tattered traveling clothes
or finer, gentler, 'ttire —
conspire not, within yourself
to bypass the passerby.

For whether they of kindred be
or of some other's sire,
tis not for you, their judgment mete.
But approach them and salute!
In friendship give a willing hand;
their burden you should loose.

And when, anon, the road divides,
do not part in haste.
But walk with them til eventide.
And walk with them again.
Then turn, embrace, and kiss:
this stranger you made a friend.

For ere you walked alone
in dire circumstance
for whither a man without a home?
Where is his happiness?
But when, with a friend, his road he takes,
there will he find his bliss.

So when upon life's harrowed path
a stranger's path you cross,
remember what a friendship hath
and more the merry be:
but do not forget in passing by
that kindness begins with thee.

____________________


This was a poem I wrote during my mission for a talk I was asked to give. It's a little contrived, but I like its cadence and its message.

A Joke about Consultants...

From my mission president.

: )

So I sent out my yearly update e-mail, and this was the first year that I had my (former) mission president's e-mail... so I included him and his wife. A few days later I get an e-mail back: "What a lovely letter... who is this?". I reply with enough information for him to remember me, and he invites me to dinner.

We weren't really close during the mission, and we haven't had reason to speak in 10 or so years... but I respect the man and the mantle he wore (with aplomb, mind you) immensely. So I was both intrigued and a little worried... especially about how I would respond to any "why aren't you married, yet, Elder" questions. But last night's dinner was delightful, and the conversation never went anywhere near my marital status... so I counted it a success.

And then I get an e-mail from him this morning, and I now count the evening a resounding success:

Hi Brother! Was good to break bread with you yesterday. Both [my wife] and I felt good to have had you here along with [our other dinner guest]. As I was going through some files today I ran into something I thought you would get a kick out of.

Here it is:

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Broni suit, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leaned out the window and asked the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looked at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looked at his peacefully-grazing flock and calmly answered "Sure."

The yuppie parked his car, whipped out his notebook and connected it to a cell phone, then he surfed to a NASA page on the internet where he called up a GPS satellite navigation system, scanned the area, and then opened up a database and an Excel spreadsheet with complex formulas. He sent an e-mail on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes received a response.

Finally he prints out a 150 page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized printer then turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep."

"That is correct; take one of the sheep." said the shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and bundle it into his car. Then the shepherd says: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will give me back my sheep?"

"Okay... Why not." answered the young man.

"Clearly, you are a consultant." said the shepherd.

"That's correct," says the yuppie, "but how did you guess that?"

"No guessing required" answers the shepherd. "You turned up here although nobody called you. You want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, and you know jack about my business...

Now give me back my dog."

I don't know about you... but I think that that's a great joke!