Be the Change

Change begins an individual at a time and the longest journey begins with a single step...

Wagon Wheel

A piece of history, a work of art,

Let me describe it, part by part:

I’m speaking of an old wooden wagon wheel,

Let me tell you how it makes me feel,

The hub represents the “heart” of it,

A central connection for the axle to fit,

The two come together with a common goal,

Without each other, the wagon could not roll,

The spokes are many, making it strong,

A single spoke would be utterly wrong,

The outer wheel rim has no beginning or end,

It is an infinite circle with a continuous bend,

The surface of the wheel is covered with a metal band,

Giving it rigidity; Rocks and potholes to withstand,

The old wagon wheel symbolizes unity, at its best,

Parts working together; none very useful without the rest,

Now is the time to embrace the wagon wheel analogy,

Love is the hub to eliminate brutality,

Spokes are us folks coming together for a commonality,

And the infinite wheel is the hope for a future of equality,

The metal band is the perseverance to endure the change necessary,

To travel the world on a journey that begins with me in Cary.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  6/23/2020

My Alter Ego

This is a true story of how I often took on the character of  "Miss Maaargaret" to read to my preschoolers.  I taught preschool at the YMCA for 13 years.

Mystery Reader

With a British accent and a book in hand,

“Miss Margaret” was ready to read to her 4-year old clan,

Unnoticed by the students, she quietly had left the room,

And had quickly returned wearing her “Miss Margaret” costume:

A sparkly scarf draped around her neck and a floppy pink hat on her head,

It was quite simple: The finishing touch was a small purple bird named Fred,

Fred was strategically glued to the brim of the hat and caused the children to giggle,

It helped keep the class entertained and decreased their tendency to wiggle,

When “Miss Margaret” arrived, she announced herself in a loud, boisterous voice:

“Come children, gather round, I am reading a book of my choice”,

The children screamed loudly – “It’s Mrs. Tammy”-when they got a closer look,

“Whatever do you mean?” replied “Miss Margaret”, while opening up her book,

“My name is “Miss Maaargaret” and I’m the mystery-reader today,

Just sit back and listen, then I’ll be on my way”,

The children were baffled, they wanted to believe,

Mrs. Tammy was not one to deceive,

With confusion on their faces, she began to read,

Then as she finished, she said, “Farewell and Godspeed”,

Her accent was quite compelling and kept their attention well,

When Mrs. Tammy returned; they had a story to tell:

“Mrs. Tammy you missed seeing Miss Margaret; She was here!”

“Yes, I saw her in the hall; She is such a dear!”

Tammy Harvey

Written:  6/16/2020

Uniquely the same

The Gem Sisters

Ruby and Opal have always been best friends,

It’s only natural, because they are identical twins,

Ruby is Opal’s gem, and as for Opal, the same is true,

They do everything together, whatever they may do,

The two have grown old, never leaving each other’s side,

In a lovely Victorian home, they live; In a 4-door sedan, they ride,

Ruby loves vibrant, bright colors, and Opal prefers the color white,

Their days are filled with fun and flair; you’ll never see them fight,

They garden.  They paint.  They sip hot tea.  They attend the theater too.

They play cards.  They sew.  They bird watch.  They love to cook vegetable stew.

To many their lives may seem very mundane,

But Ruby and Opal are far from just plain,

Ruby has hats and purses that match with whatever she wears,

To her extravagant fashion sense nothing truly compares,

She wears boas, fur collars, feathered chapeaus, a sequined vest,

Polka dot trousers, a striped blazer & silk scarf, with a tangle of colorful beads on her chest,

Now Opal, quite the opposite, but nonetheless eccentric in style,

Wears nothing but white, including her smile,

She has snow white hair, and her complexion is especially pale,

Her blouse and skirt are void of color, as is every detail:

White flowers in her hair and a necklace of pure white pearls,

She has worn only white since they were little girls,

Identical faces, but individually distinct,

Ruby and Opal define the word “unique”,

An odd couple, but genuinely filled with a love of life,

Neither of them could bear to become anyone’s wife,

For they are inseparable, like shadows on a sunny day,

And they intend to always stay that way.

Tammy Harvey  

written:  5/23/2020

Zoom Around the Room

Army-crawler

My 9-month-old grandson can get anywhere he wants to go,

The other day he climbed a two-step ladder just like a pro,

He has a unique style of crawling that is so intriguingly fast,

In a baby crawling contest, he would not come in last,

He crawls on his elbows and feet, with ease,

Like a solider at boot-camp, not hands-and-knees,

He pulls up on everything and cruises furniture in the room,

But on his belly, he can zoom, zoom, zoom!

It won’t be long before he will take his first steps…

 Army-style crawling, toddling then walking,

Then running and jumping and talking!

The milestones are many, and he is about to reach a few,

With four tiny teeth already in view,

He is a sweet, sweet boy with the biggest blue eyes,

And even though he is only pint-sized,

Today he waved at me when I said “Hi”!

Growing up fast, (Gigi sigh),

Tammy Harvey  aka Gigi

Written:  5/23/2020

Grand Ole Flag

Flying High?

Have you noticed, as I have, the US flag is flying half-staff more often than not?

For the past several years, I have noticed this occurrence a lot!

While an honorable method to remember those lost in a tragic way,

I can’t help but think of how many tragedies we have every day,

A real reminder of the lives lost due to random shootings and terrorism,

It symbolizes the pain of a world gone mad with hatred and barbarism,

Hatred and martyrdom, homemade bombs and high-powered weapons,

Are hard to prevent and the calamity occurs in just seconds,

A recipe for disaster among a “civilized” society,

Where safety and security have had to become a top priority,

Our schools, movie theaters, concerts, all public places- none are immune,  

Even a place of worship is not sacred from this violence, as one would assume,

I would never have imagined the need to put metal detectors at sporting events,

Or have purses inspected and pockets emptied to search the contents,

It is accepted now as the new normal, in airports and government buildings alike,

How sad that we must be forced to be so cautious, lest someone could strike,

A flag at half-staff, how tragic the site,

Oh, but to raise it to its glorious height!

May the flag fly high at the top of the pole,

That is our prayer and our national goal,

To be set free from the threat of random violence befalling the innocent,

Requires us all to be increasingly aware and diligent,

Notice, with me, where the flag is flying,

You will be alarmed because it is terrifying.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  2/23/2020