Our Last Chapter

Broken and Undone

Sometimes I feel broken and undone,

Like a lost and wayward one,

The certainties I counted on,

Have faded and are all but gone,

What happened to my happily ever after?

Growing old together was supposed to be our last chapter,

Then cancer came and shattered our dreams,

Our golden years together were cut short, it seems,

Until death we do part was a vow we made,

I didn’t need to be afraid,

It never happens to us, until it does,

What could have been, never was.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/27/2019

"Fantastic"

Thumbs UP!

Thumbs up means you’re positive, okay, ready,
You are rock solid, in agreement, incredibly steady,
Thumbs up means you give your wholehearted support,
It is an encouragement to someone playing a sport,
It is the gesture most often seen in the photos of Jerry,
When he was fighting cancer and it was scary,
A scary and uncertain time, but nonetheless,
He put his thumb upward; He knew God would bless,
God did bless him with an incredible life,
But He never promised there would not be strife,
Jerry’s thumbs up were meant to assure us and say:
“I’m having a really fantastic day!”
Incredible to think that someone in his situation,
Was brave enough to thumbs up without hesitation,
His attitude was always positive, and he knew,
His days on earth would only be few,
Thumbs up to Jerry for all his courage,
He was giving up hope and he did not discourage,
When I see a thumbs up emoji, I think of him over there,
On the couch with his thumb held up in the air!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 11/23/2019

Like it or Not

We are Taking you to see Santa

“We are taking you to see Santa Claus!” echoed down the hall,

“You must tell him what you want for Christmas”, (or get nothing at all?),

This visit to Santa could be met with terrified kicking and screaming,

Some kids are frightened to meet the jolly St. Nick, while others have been dreaming,

Dreaming of this encounter most of the year!

It is quite a dilemma though for those who fear,

The huge red suite and the loud “HO HO HO”,

And the long white beard, and the white fake snow,

Giant black boots, a round belly, reindeer and a sleigh,

It is hard to find room on his lap anyway,

Will I be on Santa’s list?  Naughty or nice? 

Is he really and truly checking it twice?

It puts a lot of stress on the child who is so curious,

And after standing in line for hours, the parents could be furious,

The hesitation, the meltdown, the child is not cooperating,

The situation is a little bit more than complicating,

Think of it this way and you’ll see what I mean,

He either faces his fear NOW or gets the guy dressed in green!

The Grinch is the alternative to the gift-giving spirit,

He said he didn’t want to be there, but they didn’t hear it!

Poor kid.  He just can’t win for losing,

This Santa thing was not his choosing!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/23/2019

                                             Charles   2017

Time Tested

Overalls

Except for Sunday, my Pap-paw wore overalls anywhere he would go,
Dark denim bib overalls, to be exact, high back, not low,
He was a carpenter and a painter and they served him well,
He was a laborer, a craftsman, and anyone could tell,
With pockets all over to hold his tools with ease,
His overalls were worn and sometime patched at the knees,
Comfortable and durable, though, that was the plan,
He had a wooden tape measure stick that folded up like a fan,
And a flat wooden pencil, both I thought were so intriguing,
He got up before daylight and his job was fatiguing,
With a red bandana stuffed in the bib to wipe off his brow,
He would feed and milk the old jersey cow,
His pick-up truck was a manual step-sided Chevrolet,
I rode in the middle with the stick in my way,
Grandpa Harris wore Key Imperial brand overalls to do his trade,
He was an electrician and his style of railroad striped overalls were a lighter shade,
Coveralls, too, were a favorite of his; a signature look for him,
In fact, when he passed away, he was buried in them,
Now overalls, for children, are a favorite of mine,
Nothing is cuter than a child in overalls at the age of two months or nine,
OshKosh B’Gosh were perfect hand-me-downs, for our three sons,
In the summertime, without a shirt, they wore the shorts ones,
Then in winter, the long pants with a flannel shirt was adorable,
Except for during potty training, then they could be horrible,
But all-in-all, I’d say overalls have stood the test of time,
And this is where I’ll end my rhyme!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 11/21/2019

Heart Shine, Finish Line

Run, Girl Run

Training to run a long-distance race must be incredibly demanding,

Your body is pushed to its limits; your endurance is outstanding,

You press on even when you want to stop going,

It’s grit and determination that keeps your heart knowing,

You can accomplish a 3K, a 5K, a half or full marathon,

Acknowledging it is always darkest before the dawn,

I am not speaking personally, as I am not a runner,

In my estimation, doing anything else would be fun-ner,

But for those who run, I tip my hat to you,

I understand why you do what you do,

It gives you a peace, a strength, a runner’s high, if you will,

It is not an easy pursuit; it takes time and it takes skill,

I equate it to writing poetry for me,

It fills my soul and that is the key,

To train in any sport or physical activity requires discipline,

I give you kudos, along with a lot of acetaminophen,

So, run girl run, if that is your liking,

Enjoy your time, whether it is running, hiking or biking,

Clear your mind and then your heart will shine,

When you push through to the finish line!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/15/2019

Inspired by and dedicated to Mary Lynn, who enjoys running.