The World of Make Believe

Gnome Philosophy
In a world of make-believe,
There is anything we can perceive,
Ride on a feather to the land of gnomes,
Where fairy-like creatures live in tiny domes,
And their chimneys produce puffs of pink smoke,
And the world is at peace for those in small cloaks,
With cute high-pitched voices and a skip in their step,
They exude joy, laughter, and exuberant pep,
We could learn a thing or two from these friendly kind,
Like enjoying the journey with no destination in mind,
Keeping no record of wrongs done to them on the way,
And living life fully each and every day,
The land of make-believe is a place of reflection,
Where everything that happens is near perfection,
It’s not real, but oh to dream a dream,
Of a place where mountains are made of ice cream,
Where the royal blue streams are crystal clear,
And the gnomes in the village have nothing to fear,
The clouds are cotton candy and jellybeans rain down,
And they whistle and sing there, with no cause to frown,
It’s incredible to visit make-believe land,
Where beaches are covered in glitter not sand,
Go there sometime and make yourself right at home,
Visiting with a friendly, perky, and overjoyed gnome.

Tammy Harvey
Written: July 10, 2017

Feeling the Heat

Since we have reached 90+ degrees for 23 of the past 26 days, I saw it necessary to write about this excruciating heat!

Hot Enough for ya?

You could fry an egg on the top of my car,

If you were walking barefooted, you wouldn’t go far,

I just stepped out of the shower and already I perspire,

Forget going to the park, the slide is on fire,

It is 100 degrees outside in the shade!

I want to get into the fountain and wade,

I feel like I’m melting, that I’m made out of wax,

It’s July in North Carolina:  those are the facts,

It hasn’t rained in weeks, the grass is quite brown,

The humidity is high, with the sun blazing down,

The A/C is running steadily, all day and all night,

Record-setting heat, the forecaster was right,

“Hot enough  for ya?”- can’t wait until fall?

Then it won’t be hot, and we can watch football,

Then winter arrives and the heat is sounding better,

We humans are really persnickety about our weather,

As spring approaches, we all look forward to the thaw,

And there is no objection to the weather at all,

But spring is too brief, and then here we are,

You could fry an egg on the top of my car!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  July 25, 2017

Kindergartener Dream

Riding the School Bus

At pick-up in the morning when frost was on the ground,

The bus could be heard before arriving, by its distinctive sound,

It was a chugging, rumbling noise reminiscent of a train,

Especially uncomfortable to wait for in the pouring rain,

If we slept a few minutes late, we’d miss our exciting ride,

What a relief to be there as the folding doors opened wide,

It was warm, almost hot, when we boarded and chose our seat,

The heat came pouring out relentlessly at our tiny feet,

The big red stop sign was faithfully displayed,

Then with everyone seated, we would be on our routed way,

Grinding gears and jerky shifting made for a rough go,

The driver watched us diligently in his large mirror, even so,

A strong smell of exhaust hung heavy in the air,

The trip was bumpy, the bench seats lumpy, but we did not care,

Hours passed, the final bell rang, and now our school day was done,

We passed by the carpool line, in the bright and blinding sun,

Back to the bus, in a hurry, hurry, hurry,

Always parked in the same spot, so really not to worry,

Once again it was hot on our bumpy afternoon ride,

With no air-conditioning while sitting compactly, side by side,

Chewed bubblegum was stuck underneath the vinyl seat,

“Not so loud, keep your voices down!” the driver would repeat,

“Don’t stand up until the bus comes to a complete stop”,

We held on tightly to our lunchboxes so they would not drop,

Stop and go, stop and go, we arrived safely at our destination,

Until the next time, we would wait with great anticipation.

The thrill of riding the big yellow bus was a kindergartener dream,

As we stepped off to meet our Mom, our smiling faces would beam.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  June 7, 2017

Pop! Pop pop! Pop!

Popcorn

The smell is enticing and will make your mouth water,

Eat some during the movie-you really, truly oughta,

Hot, buttery, crisp and salty, popcorn,

Pop! Pop pop! Pop! Pop, I will warn,

The popping sound is a siren to entice you even more,

Yes, there’s kettle corn, caramel corn, all kinds galore,

The choices are many, I think you’d agree,

But listen closely now and hear my plea,

Jiffy Pop, Cracker Jacks, and white cheddar are just a few,

But when it’s freshly popped, you will need a napkin or two,

Because movie theater popcorn I consider the best,

A comfort food better than all the rest,

At home, it’s a fast snack, microwave for 3 minutes,

But eat it as slowly as you can, it won’t last through the credits,

Add an ice cold soft drink with a straw & a lid,

It’s a combination you’ve known since you were a kid,

I’m a popcorn connoisseur and proud to proclaim,

That I ‘d eat popcorn at any and every ballgame,

Or at the circus, or while visiting the zoo,

No doubt about it, I’d eat it there too.

But at the movies is where it tastes the finest,

Forgive me, but I’m just being honest!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  5/7/2017

On Two Wheels

Ride a Bicycle

Learning to ride a bicycle is no small feat,
I remember the first time I sat on the seat,
I had to have balance and coordination,
Courage and fearless determination,
The fear of falling over was a constant threat,
So, practicing on grass was my best bet,
Hours of swerving and wobbly steering,
Soon turned to shouts of exuberant cheering,
I then took to the street to test my new skill,
It was a slight downhill grade, I remember it still,
Gently tapping the brake, I rode smoothly and steady,
I rode along nicely and knew I was ready,
I pedaled effortlessly, with the wind in my hair,
I rode all around the neighborhood, without a care,
It was a thrill of freedom, like none other:
To transport myself without my mother.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 5/20/2017

Puppy Love

Scout, the Puppy

The puppy next door is only 8 weeks old,

She’s playfully energetic and a sight to behold,

A German short-haired pointer from the very best line,

Her markings are incredible and her coloring divine,

She has a rich marbled coat with a white-tipped tail,

Her bright pink collar lets you know she’s female,

With large puppy paws she gallops clumsily around,

Her bark is piercing- it’s a distinctive sound,

She chews on everything, like all puppies do,

Her leash, the grass, a stick or a shoe,

She’s a beautiful animal, there is no denying,

You can’t get mad at her, even if she’s crying,

My husband has now fallen in love,

With the puppy that I described above.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  July 16, 2017

Completely Divine

Stained Glass
Colorful mosaics, dazzling design,
Light shining through, completely divine,
Storytelling panels adorn windows so grand,
In the houses of worship throughout the land,
Stained glass is beautifully, artistically made,
Put together with glass of aqua, ruby and jade,
Jewel colors that are stunning and please the eye,
Awe-inspiring, and often give birth to a sigh,
Broken pieces of glass come together in harmony,
We could take a lesson from this anomaly,
Singularly, they are shards of brokenness,
But together they are spectacular, nothing less.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 5/20/2017

what do you see?

Clouds

Here’s a question…I’ll state it out loud…

What do you see when you stare at a cloud?

A rainy day, or something funny?

Do you see a cloudy day? or is it partly sunny?

Does the shape of the cloud bring anything to mind?

Are you feeling creative or are you feeling blind?

A bunny? a whale? grandpa’s profile?

Come on, look harder, don’t cramp my style,

I want you to see it, like I do myself,

A reindeer? A chainsaw? A gnome or an elf?

The puffy cumulus clouds have volumes to show,

As do the cirrus and stratus, different brush strokes, you know,

A big blue canvas with white blotches of “paint”,

The hand of God is the artist, isn’t that quaint?

So, look to the sky the next chance you get,

A cloud will form a shape of some kind, I’ll bet!

And when you see it, just smile in your heart,

For the sky will soon clear and the clouds will depart.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  April 4, 2017

Germination expectation

Growing Flowers

Zinnias and dahlias, daisies and mums,
Flowers, flowers- gonna grow me some!
Seed goes down upon the ground,
Covered by rich soil all around,
Rain beats down from the sky above,
Sunshine gives them the warmth they love,
Here's the part that's really fun,
Germination has begun!
Seedlings sprout and begin to leaf,
Stems grow taller, the time is brief,
Before you know it buds are showing,
And all the seeds that you were sowing,
Have turned into flowers, nice and bright,
Growing flowers....what a delight!

Tammy Harvey
Written:  7/14/2014

Backyard BBQ

Grillin’

In the backyard, the grill is hot,

The deck chairs are placed in just the right spot,

Relish, mayo, ketchup-all on the table,

And homemade desserts are provided by Aunt Mabel,

Barbecue sauce, salt ‘n’ pepper- soft drinks are on ice,

A crochet game set up on the lawn, which is nice,

Burgers, hotdogs,baked beans, and corn on the cob,

The chef is busy making vegetable kabobs,

Sliced tomato and onions are stacked high on the platter,

There is lots of laughing and social chatter,

A couple is playing a friendly game of badminton,

While children are playing with a new baby kitten,

The smell of charcoal is strong to the noses,

Thick smoke swirls skyward like the trellis of roses,

Grass is bright green, like a carpet, freshly cut,

Sound asleep on the patio is the old family mut,

Festivities are many, annoying bugs are few,

A picture-perfect day for a backyard barbeque.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  5/24/2017

Happy July 4th!  Happy Birthday USA! 

Happy Birthday to my sister, Pam!