A RIME
When I was young
a very long time ago
to see my grandparents in Cedar Falls
I would sometimes go
and it was great
and it was jolly
but gramps axed chickens
he did; was no folly
He wore shaded visors and sleeve protectors
over his neck-tied shirtery
he once shot a bank rat
when as a teller felt murdery
Bonnie and Floyd robb-ed naught
Ames Iowa's little loanery
a bank with a screen door
and Ray wasn't squattery
"Watch out for that Ray
and his Dixian bravery!" said
awed street-dusted citizens
who checked at that door their worst knavery
and Ray's good wife Myrtle
served me oatmeal for breakfast
with a Shirley Temple pitcher
of 1930s cobalt blue
vesselry
It did no good to try
getting past of me
I wanted just that
no other dawn fare would do for me
And so years went by
me visiting e'r so happily
smiling Shirley focused all
for me in her in blue lapis lazuli
By and by Grandma died
but she left S. Temple, to me
and Ray left his margin-written flag
guarded, for me
I did lose the pitcher
I did lose the flag
But I just Yule-time ordered
a faded Shirley Temple pitcher
It's here;
and, for me
[DzD]
2017
^,^
