Poems and Stories

Friday, November 10, 2017

Who needs Twitter?

Thanksgiving 2017

New grandchild, sex unknown
Coming into a loving home
Three boys waiting,
New house from 1780
Blessings exceed dreams now
Grandda in waiting

FTC
11/10/17

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Salt Seller

The Salt Seller
There was a man who had salt for sale
He dug it out of a salt pond beach
His customers were poor and sad
and his price far out of their reach.

So he gave it away until all was gone
and went back to the beach for more
But it started to rain and he lost all his salt
and so did his customers poor.

If he had a hut or at least a shelter
He could save the salt for all
The neighbors saw his vision too
So they started with just a wall.

His friends and customers all stepped up
and each brought a stick, a brick or a stone
The pantry was built and the salt was saved
With God’s help, one is never alone.


ftc

written to bring attention to needs of the hungry

The Bag Lady of Maine

The Bag Lady of Route One.

The road was widened
but she never knew
her life would end
when the job was through.

She had walked Route One
along the shore
Everyone knew her
but now they learned more.

She was just the Bag Lady
with her backpack of red
Faster traffic
But now she was dead.

The truck blew by
and honked as it passed her
She was knocked over the rail
Traffic now went much faster

She was not missed
for three more days
Her routine was erratic
Each day a new phase

We expected to see her
on Sunday mornings in Fall
At 7:21
She would walk past Whitehall.

The plan was to expand
Route One to be...wider
Cutting the ancient tree down
and most things beside her.

But the tree was her safe place
as the traffic flew by
When it was cut down
She had no place to hide.

The funeral was small
the service was brief
Just a few of the locals
Stopped by to share grief

They barely knew her
But the minister did
and he shared her sad story
and told of her kid

She had a full and rich life
along the midcoast
With a husband and son
who loved her the most.

They walked Route One together
from the beach to the town.
Laughing and joking
Until the car cut them down

She lived but they died
Now she will not ride in a car
She walks by herself
Miles do not seem that far

When your lonely and alone
There is not much to say
So she kept to herself
and she died the same way.

Why widen a road
that is scenic and rare?
It will not be safer
with shoulders so bare.

Lets re-think this plan
and let everyone know
that wider is not better
and its better to go slow.

FTC
10/21/17
Lincolnville Beach