Stick to It or You Can Run But You Can't Hide

Not gonna do it
Not gonna play
I’ve had enough of these little games

I’m tired of going
I just need to rest
Since when is fun an endurance test

I should never have started
To chase a mistake
I should just give up but my pride is at stake

To learn something new
Is not much to ask
I thought it was fun now the whole day has passed

Tripping and falling
You don’t care how I sweat
You don’t know who your messing with I’ll get you yet

What am I saying
This has to stop
Why must you go can’t you just let it drop

You’re cute and you’re funny
And you don’t mean to stress
I just don’t understand dog why you can’t learn to fetch

Not Again

I won’t do it

You can’t make me

Time won’t tell

And I will not see

I’m just fine thanks

Please don’t worry

Haste makes waste

So I don’t hurry

I won’t stop you

Do as you please

There’s no chance

You can’t convince me

Save your breath

It’s not a bad thing

I’ll hold the fort

Keep fires burning

It’s not for me

And never has been

Sneaks up behind

My plans just can’t win

The end result

Life rearranged

Can’t believe I ever longed

For fickle winds of

Change

How Do You Steer This Thing

                The first time I was allowed to visit a friend’s farm my Dad made it clear that I was not to ride or even go near the horses without an adult present.
               The minute I got there we headed toward the barn as though we were on a mission. My friend told me her parents were busy so I had to tell her about my Dad's warning. After a brief discussion we found just enough justification to keep going.  She set a wooden crate down next to a large white horse and told me to get on.  She was up on the other horse within seconds telling me not to worry because my horse would follow hers and we would just walk. Did I mention we were riding bare back? It sounded like a good idea at the time but it was uncomfortable and I was unable to straddle the wide animal enough to stay centered.  We had to go around an old wagon that had grass on one side and a large mud puddle on the other.  My friend walked her horse right through the mud.  I don’t know if it was because my horse was white or if I was afraid it would get stuck like an old sedan but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It wasn’t much of an argument because as hard as I tugged, begged and leaned my horse just kept on following hers but, unfortunately, I didn’t. 

It was more of a slide than a fall and nothing was broken but I had done enough damage to warrant a trip to the doctor.  There was no contest between the pain in my shoulder and the pain of having to call my dad to pick me up.  They say mothers are psychic.  He never even asked what happened he knew the minute I called.  The obvious physical pain I was in did manage to soften his anger, but I could tell the sympathy ended way before the disappointment.   My friend moved away about a year later and in all that time I never had the nerve to ask my dad to let me visit the farm again.  Some dreams are best left to the imagination at least for the time being.

               

Up Close and Personal

    Have you ever smacked into a wall

    And been embarrassed and appalled

    Dividing your space into spaces

    It was there all along after all

                Offering passage through doorways

                Protecting from heat and from cold

                Holding up pictures and bookshelves

                Framing windows with views to behold

                Day after day we go past them
                Without giving them much of a thought

                Until we don’t watch where we're going
                then with a sharp pain we are taught

                The least we can do is avoid them

                Remembering their place in our lives
                Stay within hallways between them

                And after dark turn on a light

                They’re there for some very good reasons

                They’re not moving anytime soon

                We should keep our eyes open and heads up

                When we enter or leave any room

                If that seems quite silly and obvious

                Forget that I said anything

                Until the next time you misjudge one
                Then let me know what you think

Cats In A Box or Please Don't Try This At Home

Some dear friends asked me to house and pet sit while they were on vacation.  They had three beautiful cats with wonderful personalities and I wanted to photograph them as a Christmas gift.  The cats didn’t seem to mind my trying to arrange them in a group over and over again.  They just didn’t seem to understand the purpose and disassembled themselves after two or three seconds before I could frame a good shot.   The few times they stayed together they refused to look directly at the camera, at least all at the same time.  I knew if I wanted a picture developed and framed before my friends returned that I would have to come up with something fast.

There was a tall, narrow box waiting to go out with the trash and the thought struck me that it was just big enough for 3 cats to sit in comfortably.  If all went well, I would be able to get a good shot looking down into the box from above.  I carefully placed each cat inside then climbed on a chair next to it so it would look as though I was facing them at a normal angle.  Everything was working perfectly.  The cats were all staring up at the opening at the top with wide eyed wonder.

I am not sure what happened next.  All I know is someone hissed and the three beautiful faces in the bottom of the box became a writhing, hissing, screaming ball of fur.  I screamed too as I imagined my friend’s faces when they came home to 3 bloodied cats.  I knocked the box over hoping they would sort themselves out but that only confused them more.  I finally had to pick the box up and pour them out onto the floor still a tangled mess of heads, paws and tails.  Thankfully they scattered in different directions.  There were no injuries and I did get a good shot but take it from me, don’t try this at home.