The Kayaking Blues

I hopped in my kayak
To go for a paddle
But then the rain started
And the skies, they did rattle

Okay, so I hurried
Back to my dock
As the rain quickly stopped
Like the works of a clock

I waited ten minutes
And all seemed so fine
Hopped back into boat
I’ll do better this time

But the process repeated
Itself to a tee
Of thunderstorm worries
I can’t get myself free

So at least for this evening
I’ll sit safe under cover
Perhaps then, tomorrow
For this kayaking-lover
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Bear Scare

Have made it to
My Vermont summer shack
First wildlife I see?
A bear that was black

He was frolicking (?) on
The road to the store
I walk there daily
There’ll be many more

Walks that is
But bears? Let us hope
He was lost and now’s found
Cuz’ with bears I can’t cope

Garter snakes and deer
The occasional toad
These I expect
On my little dirt road

But bears are too big
With huge teeth and four claws
If I see him again
It will give me great pause

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Until Next Year

Fall is arriving
Winter is near
And so that means
That I can’t be here

The unheated shack
Is perfect for summer
But I hate the cold
I think it’s a bummer

The mice will take over
While we’re away
Without my cat guarding
They get to play

The garden perennials
Will grow without care
Next spring when I’m back
They’ll already be there

The snow will settle
On lawn and on roof
In Vermont in the winter
There’s never enoof

One last canoe paddle
Then we bring in the dock
The birds are flying south
Flock after flock

I’m headed there also
But Vermont, never fear
Like the birds I’ll be back again
See ya’ next year

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The Apple

Sitting here
Feeling tortured
Cuz nothing rhymes
With apple orchard

And apples is
Another word
To rhyme something with
Is hard and absurd

But hubby said
Write today’s ditty
About the orchard we saw
But this ain’t pretty

And so about apples
You’ve learned nothing new
And I’m happy to say
This apple poem’s through

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Taking Flight With All Their Might

The goslings who
All summer I’ve been spying
Just this week
Have taken to flying

They practice often
With Dad and Mom
Who are concerned
For wings to grow strong

Flying in silence
Must be no fun at all
So they honk-honk away
And to Mom and Dad call

Look at me! Look at me!
See what I can do
I’ll be part of the flock
When summer is through

Where they’ll fly then
I really know not
But watching them grow up
Makes me smile a lot

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Paddle Poetry

The moon is full
And oh so bright
And much to my
Supreme delight

The lake is calm
And oh so still
A perfect night
For a rare thrill

The temperature’s warm
No wind whatsoever
And so my hubby
Who’s oh so clever

Suggested we paddle
Out in our canoe
To look at the moon
And enjoy the view

Ducks paddle with us
The loons are calling
For extra magic
Some stars are falling

Paddling by moonlight
What a pleasure
Nights like this
I really do treasure

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A Happy Ending, Promise!

Life in a Vermont shack
Has all kinds of charm
So imagine my chagrin
When the goldfinch came to harm

He flew into my porch
Yesterday at dawn
And plop, down he fell
Right onto the lawn

So still he was
I thought he had died
Oh, I can’t stand it!
To hubby I cried

But when I kneeled down
To lament his demise
Goldfinch looked up at me
And blinked his little eyes

I gently propped him up
On his little bird feet
But he fell over again
On his little bird seat

He didn’t look injured
His wings seemed intact
And he wasn’t bleeding
As a matter of fact

His beak looked okay
Eventually he stood upright
He held still for so long
I was really uptight

But then he started
Looking around
And ruffled his feathers
At each little sound

I wish I took his picture
But I worried he was dying
So happy was I
When he finally went flying!

I saw him light
On a nearby maple
So there’s the happy ending
To this hair-raising fable

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Glad He’s Not One Hundred

For Hubby’s birthday–
He’s turning fifty
I had an idea
I thought kind of nifty

Fifty gifts for him
Given in three days
As we near the end
It’s kind of a haze

His mother is here
And has helped quite a bit
She contributed several
All were a hit

His brothers sent
A nice bottle of wine
My contributions
Weren’t nearly so fine

Some friends and the cat
Got in on the plans
Hubby has lots
Of generous fans

Décor for the garden
And also a teapot
Stuff for the kitchen
Was featured a lot

Most gifts were cheap
And many were silly
But most were of use
Since Hubby hates frilly

If he hits one hundred
Will I try this again?
Oh, sure why not?
Cuz we’re truly insane

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Not Madison County

Quintessential
Is a big word
For a silly poem
You might think it absurd

But Vermont has so many
Of these everywhere
Quintessential says it
It’s really quite fair

Covered bridges span
Rivers, brooks, and streams
Yes, of these things
The state really teams

To visit a few
We took a long drive
In this land where
Covered bridges thrive

Cows, farms, and woods
Down dirt roads we raced
To get to each bridge
To see where they’re placed

Of course we got lost
That was part of the vision
Of our covered bridges
Motor tour mission

But as these photos attest
We found quite a few
The most fun part of all
Is when you drive through

Wood planks above, below
Sound of water rushing under
Like much of Vermont
It fills me with wonder

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No Accounting For Taste

Arlene, who is
A summertime friend
Reads my bad poems
From beginning to end

Every Sunday she says
Need it or not
She opens my blog
To see what I’ve got

Mom-in-law has
This bad habit, too
Her Sunday isn’t over
Completed, or through

Until she has read
The poem I have written
Of the insanity bug
She must have been bitten

And of my Twitter buddies
Ian comes to mind
He reads my poems weekly
Lest he fall behind

Twitter buddy
And author to boot
Pam say she finds
My poetry a hoot

For a bad poetry fix
These kind people know
That my silly blog
Is the place to go

Are there more of you?
I ponder, I wonder
Who tune in weekly
For my new poetic blunder?

If so, please tell me
Please fill me in
And some extra stanzas
Next week I might spin

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