30 Years Old

 The Surprise

 The look on his face was priceless, 

Deer in headlights while party horns broke the silence, 

It was the only surprise party of his lifetime, a 30th celebration, 

Everyone kept the secret from him, for a month’s duration, 

A few fibs were told, and he was none the wiser, 

While his mom (me) and his wife needed a tranquilizer, 

It was a hectic time to make sure nothing suspicious was said, 

Nothing suspicious was texted, on the family group thread, 

The day of the party finally arrived, with much behind-the-scenes preparation, 

That morning it was raining sideways which caused additional trepidation, 

The afternoon golf outing was in question, and there was another surprise there, 

Big brother had plans to get him fitted for clubs, but he was unaware, 

He got him good with the golfing ruse, then dropped him off at his house, 

Where he excitedly told the entire day’s events to his spouse, 

Then he promptly took a nap, exhausted from the hours of swinging, 

Little did he know of the next surprise that would be springing, 

 The next ruse was a double date with his brother for a nice steak dinner, 

With the babysitting arrangements in place, the night was set to be a winner, 

Meanwhile, guests had been arriving at his brother’s house for about an hour, 

The weather had cleared up and there was no chance of shower, 

Everything had come together beautifully, without a catch, 

He was still clueless about the plan that was about to hatch, 

As they pulled up into the driveway, he was somehow coaxed inside,

 He opened the front door, and his eyes went wide! 

 He stood in complete disbelief, like he was frozen in time, 

As party horns went off and yells of “surprise” began to chime, 

Most of his close friends and family were there to celebrate him, 

It took a few minutes for him to take it all in, 

He was properly celebrated as the party ensued,

 A party for a well-deserving, 30-year-old dude!

 Tammy Harvey 

Written: 8/9/2021

The party theme was golfing, and the banner read: "It's Par-Tee Time"!

Beware your Hiding Spot

 

Word to the Wise
If ever you want to conjure up a surprise!
There is a strategy to follow- word to the wise,
When the gift comes in a box and is left at your door,
And you need to hide it, think about it a little more,
A little more thought was required of me,
As I hid the shoe box in the kitchen pantry,
Who would have thought my grown son would stop by,
And into the pantry he would go for an oatmeal pie!
It was his 30th Birthday present- a coveted pair of new golf shoes,
But alas, he carried out an Oscar-winning ruse,
He never mentioned to me that he had found the hidden treasure,
Until he unwrapped the gift! Knock me over with a feather!
He said, “Mom, you never hide a gift in the pantry, duh!
And on and on, Blah, blah, blah…
Muscle memory sends us there without even thinking,
Was I just a fool or had I been drinking?”
Suffice it to say- I ruined the surprise,
Beware your hiding spot- word to the wise!
Tammy Harvey
Written: 8/7/2021

A Real Cookie Guy

 

Heavenly Cookies

Ooey Gooey! Melt in your mouth chocolate chips,

Not even thinking about it going straight to my hips!

Chocolate chip cookies, homemade and still hot,

What?  Willpower?  None I’ve got!

Made by a trained pastry chef, my daughter-in-law,

Who’s baking is renown and causes much awe,

She baked cookies a lot for my husband- a real cookie guy,

On his last Father’s Day, she baked him a plate stacked high,

She brought it to his bedside, and a big smile came upon his face,

He ate and ate and ate- like he was in a race,

With chocolate smeared in his mustache and beard, he was very content,

She probably will never know just how much that really meant,

For he only lived for another week after that Father’s Day,

May there be chocolate chip cookies in heaven for him, I pray.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  8/7/2021

Patience is a Virtue

 Patience

I tell a true tale of a smart young lad,

And of the incredible vocabulary he had,

He had endured the hour-long ride in the car,

Because the fishing spot was a little too far,

“When are we going to be there?” was the question of the day,

He was anxious to cast his push button rod, I would say,

The July afternoon was sweltering hot,

When we pulled up to the pond, our favorite spot,

He jumped out of the car- ready to fish!

Fishing with his dad and uncle was his wish,

Then the boy’s excitement took an unexpected turn,

It was a lesson in patience that he had to learn,

He stood at the end of the dock, ready to go,

But the kayak left without him, a deflating blow,

He was left to wait with Gigi for his turn to come,

While the sun beat down like a relentless drum,

He kept calling out “Hey guys, come pick me up”!

“In just a minute” was the reply that he got,

He was persistent, oh, there is no doubt,

While his fishing buddies were paddling about,

“Have patience” his dad called from the boat,

But he pled even more, and I quote:

“They are not even responding”, with a look of confusion,

“Seriously?” he said to me, as his final conclusion!

This little one, only 4 and a half years young,

Had me awe-struck with his eloquent tongue!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  7/24/2021

I Wonder as I Wander

 Wonder vs Wander

Wonder is in your mind, a curiosity,

Wander puts boots on the ground, a possibility,

Let your mind wonder, but don’t forget to wander,

Wandering seems to have no direction to ponder,

While wonder seems purposeful and well thought out,

I wonder what it would be like to...to stand on a hill and shout,

Wandering through the valley you see the hill, no doubt,

Experiencing the wonder of wandering about,

Go up that hill, put your hands to your mouth, let it out,

Aimlessly defines the word wander, but wait,

Wonder is the awe of something remarkably great,

The unfamiliar, unexpected wonder brings about joy,

The wandering about is not only for the little boy,

Be open to wondering and wandering too,

The sky's the limit; It’s all up to you,

An adult wonder produces a childlike delight,

An adult-like wandering evokes a childlike sprite!

They are both magical in their own way,

Dare to try them both today!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  7/21/2021