THE Shoe Store

I was just thinking back on the days when we went to a full service shoe store.  That's like a full service gas station, only for shoe buying.  Usually a man in a suit and tie greeted you, measured your foot, brought shoe boxes from the back, and put the shoes on your feet for you.
Poll Parrot's Shoe Store had another unique experience to offer the buyer:

Myna Bird and New Shoes

Poll Parrot’s Shoe Store had its own myna bird,

He was black, in a cage, and could talk, how absurd!

He really did speak just like a human,

The sound came from his throat, his beak wasn’t movin’,

He also could whistle extremely loud,

Especially if he was drawing a crowd,

“Don’t put your fingers near the cage” the sign said,

It was fascinating to watch, how he tilted his head,

As he called out, when someone entered the door,

It was an adventure coming to shop at this store,

The shoe salesman would sit on a stool with a slant,

Put my foot in the measurer and push it down flat,

Then slide the bar to the end of my toes,

To make sure the right size was just what he chose,

Saddle oxfords, penny loafers,Buster Brown or Keds,

Or he could sell me patent leather instead,

Whatever the occasion, there’s a shoe for all,

The salesman returns shoe boxes stacked tall,

No lack of customer service at Poll Parrot’s place,

The salesman unwrapped the shoe and untied the lace,

Sitting back down on his stool with a shoehorn in hand,

He slipped the shoes on my feet and asked me to stand,

He took his big thumb and mashed my big toe,

To see if there was room in there to grow,

Then I strolled around to try them out,

Stepping in front of the floor mirror, I sashayed about,

My Mom paid the salesman and we were on our way,

A myna bird and new shoes, what a wonderful day!

Tammy Harvey 

written:   6/25/2016

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give Thanks
In all circumstances, give thanks,
Find the good in all you do,
Gratitude is up to you,
Even when things don’t go well,
On the negative you must not dwell,
Give thanks,
In all circumstances, give thanks,
For as we are taught by God above,
By giving thanks to the One we love,
He extends his helping hand,
Giving us the strength to stand,
Give thanks,
In all circumstances, give thanks,
All things work together for good,
To those who know Him like they should,
Seek his face with a thankful heart,
God’s will for you He will impart,
Give thanks,
In all circumstances, give thanks,
Just as it says in Thessalonians five,
To be joyful, prayerful, and thankful, let us strive
On this very Thanksgiving Day,
Let us be thankful in every way.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 10/26/2016
Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.  1Thessalonians 5:16-18

The Mighty Oak

Conversation to an Acorn

Even though you wear a cap, eventually you become dark brown,

You bounce and roll when you fall, like a clown tumbling down,

You may be small and overlooked by others, but I am fond of you,

You are important to everyone, if they only knew,

Small in size, but when you grow, you become a towering giant,

Then you are strong and branching out, so magnificent and reliant,

Squirrels gather up their winter supply, as other animals do,

Acorn, as you may have guessed, I am speaking about you,

The leaf-covered ground below my feet is your perfect destiny,

It is there you will root and grow yourself into a large oak tree!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  10/11/2016

Woe is Me

This poem is based on a true story...

What to do

Woe is me,

I got no tv,

My husband cancelled the cable,

I tried and tried but could not connect,

My internet is also disabled,

Oh my, oh my,

I almost could cry,

What will I do now without it?

I could read, I could sew, but I just don’t know,

It seems that I can’t live without it!

It is only 7 o’clock and not even dark,

“What were you thinking?” is my only remark!

There’s no one at home not even our dog,

I could visit a neighbor or write my own blog,

I could take a long bubble bath and soak in the tub,

I could clean up the house and the floors I could scrub,

I could do crafts in my pjs and great things I could make,

I could bake cookies, or brownies, or even a cake,

I could listen to music in quiet solitude,

I could raid the pantry and eat all of the food,

I could lie on the couch, aww, I could lie in the recliner,

I could sit there for hours and nothing is finer,

No Pinterest, no Google, no emails, no tweet,

Oh, but the sound of silence is sweet.

So I guess you might say I’ve got nothing to do,

But that’s okay with me, how about you?

Tammy Harvey

written:  6/27/14

Brooch Revolution

So, call me crazy, but I love old brooches. I think it is because my Mee-maws always wore them when I was a girl.

Brooches
Old school brooches are a passion of mine,
I think they are utterly divine,
Costume jewelry, yes, but in so many ways,
They bring me back to the good old days,
My grandmothers and aunts wore them with pride,
It didn’t matter where, on the left or right side,
There were so many styles: jewels, pearls, or enameled,
I like them all: I guess I’m enamored,
Helping my grandmother get the pin into the clasp,
I didn’t want to stick her, so if she moved, I would gasp,
Gold or silver, made into anything you could name,
Dragonflies, leaves, roses, owls, peacocks- no two the same,
Bright burst of colorful rhinestones added the bling,
Swans, seashells, snowmen- really are a beautiful thing,
In my mind, they are little works of art,
To name a few more: angels, poodles, or a simple heart,
I could go on and on and on,
Talking brooches to the break of dawn,
Let’s just say I’d like to promote a brooch revolution,
Everyone wears one; that’s the solution!
Bring back the days when you had to ask,
Someone else to clasp your clasp!

Written: 6/13/2016 Tammy Harvey

Marvelous things

Don't take for granted the small marvelous things around you!!

Marvel

I marvel at marvelous things,

Knitting needles and hummingbird wings,

The sound of a songbird when it sings,

The rhythm of a church bell as it rings,

The dew on a leaf in the morning light,

The petals of a rose, what a delicate sight,

I marvel at the smell of fresh cut wood,

I marvel at the stump where the tree once stood.

The tiny toes on babies’ feet,

The taste of fresh fruit, both so sweet,

The wind as it causes limbs to sway,

The clear fresh dawning of a brand-new day,

Don’t forget to marvel,

For marvelous things,

You won’t believe the joy it brings.

Tammy Harvey  

written:  7-20-2015

A Subtle Teacher

Chipmunk

Over there! What is that?

It looks like a small squirrel running about,

Tiny little chipmunk scurrying around,

Finding seeds and nuts all over the ground,

“Chip, chip” is the audible sound he makes,

Holding tightly onto the loot he takes,

Disappearing from sight as fast as he can,

The chipmunk does not commune with man,

He gets what he wants then quickens away,

Burrowing in the ground until another day,

Gathering food to last him the winter long,

He is small in stature, but his will is strong,

His back is adorned with beautiful stripes,

He is one of a species with 21 types,

I am glad we saw this wonderful creature,

He is a very stout, yet subtle teacher,

He teaches me to be resilient,

And have a work ethic that is brilliant.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  9/25/2016

Chipmunks scampering around our cabin during our recent trip to MN inspired the poem.

Old-fashioned conversation

  What has happened to good old-fashioned conversation?

 Our voice to Speak? 

           

Text, Text, Text,

Type, type, type,

Is it really worth the hype?

Tweet, tweet, tweet,

Should we meet?

We don’t have the time to do so,

Cellphones go wherever we go,

We can quickly communicate,

Don’t even need to hesitate,

Posting Instagram is better,

We don’t even mail a letter,

Sending Snapchat photographs,

Arriving to us, just like that,

Checking email and our Facebook,

Always tempted to take a quick look,

Social media has its place,

Big advancements since MySpace,

Watch a video:   Youtube, Vine,

Goggle anything on our mind,

Pin it, Blog it, we have power,

Getting “on-line” at any hour,

If the internet were gone today,

Would we remember what to say?

Could we use our voice to speak?

Or would we just be shy and meek?

Tammy Harvey  written: 6/23/2014

Blessed

There are days that are just better than others.  Someday they will all be the best days.

The Best Days

There are days that I like best,

When worries are far away at rest,

When heartache is a forgotten dream,

When all is well, or so it seems,

My soul is at peace and my mind is clear,

My heart is open and my God is near,

I can feel a calming in myself,

Then I know that I am blessed,

My anxiety is miles away,

As I sit and quietly pray,

Someday it will be eternally so,

This I truly, truly know,

“Be still and know that I am God”,

He implores me to His side,

“Come to me, and I will give you rest”,

These are the days that I like best.

Tammy Harvey 

 written:  8/9/2016

Do you hear that?

Listen to the silence:

Silence

I like the silence during the day,

When daydreams spawn and believers pray,

When ticking clocks are clearly heard,

I listen intently to a chirping bird,

It is so quiet I can hear the rain,

Slowly dripping on my windowpane,

The creaking floor makes a mournful groan,

There’s no tv and there is no phone,

The silence does not deafen me,

It provides me peace and serenity,

Silence is golden so it’s told,

I would not trade it for a pot of gold.

 Tammy Harvey 

written:  2/20/2016