C.D. KEITH

POETIC MEMOIRS 3

When Pappy Robbed the Bees

When just a lad out on the farm,
How well I re-collect,
The bee hives that my Pappy kept,
And bees I did respect.
I'd circle way around the gums,
A watching everything,
Now honey really did taste good,
But Boy! Those bees could sting.
When Pappy got his old smoke gun,
And headed for the gum,
With screen wire hood upon his head,
Those bees would start to hum.
We kids would stand a long way off,
And missing not a thing,
'Cause honey really did taste good,
But how those bees could sting.
Now when the smoke began to boil,
The bees would settle down,
Then Pap would take the gum lid off,
And lay it on the ground.
He'd leave bee bread and honey, too,
Enough to do 'till spring,
That honey really did taste good,
But how those bees could sting.
Yes, honey really did taste good,
It was a special treat,
It sometimes dribbled from the comb,
And dropped on my bare feet.
Now for the business end of bees,
I have a high regard,
I've had them back right up to me,
And sit down really hard.
-- C. D. Keith --

Glowing For Him

When I was a lad in our country home,
I'd sit by the fire for hours,
And stare wide-eyed at the wondrous sight,
As the sparks came forth in showers.
And when a coal would pop from the fire,
I'd watch it's bright ember fade.
When dad tossed it back in the bed of coals,
It would brighten shade by shade.
Now a man is much like a coal of fire,
When he's sheltered in the fold.
But let him stray in the path of sin,
And his life grows dark and cold.
When the loving hands of our God above,
Has led him back to the blest.
Then his light once more will begin to glow,
And his heart again is at rest.
-- C. D. keith --

Dad & Mother

( In Memory of Uncle Dunk & Aunt Melly Keith )

I'll ne'er forget the Dad I had,
As good as you could choose.
How when a lad upon his knee,
He'd tie my little shoes.
I'll ne'er forget his crippled leg,
And how he limped about.
He used a stick to brace himself,
And wasn't very stout.
My Mother was a sweet old soul,
As deer as she could be.
So full of love and tenderness,
A Mother true, was she.
In later years as she grew old,
And tottered down life's road,
Her precious form was stooped and bent,
Beneath her heavy load.
In life there's so much grief and pain,
And such a load of care.
There's broken hearts and sadness, too,
With chaos everywhere.
We never know when death will come,
And take loved ones away.
To wait for Resurrection Morn,
or else the Judgment day.
But thanks to God the time will come,
When grief will be no more.
We'll gather round the Throne of God,
On that Celestial Shore.
My Mother won't be stooped and bent,
She'll never know a pain.
And Dad won't need a walking stick,
He'll never limp again.
-- C. D. Keith --

Smart

Now I find people pretty much,
The same the world around.
You'll find some good, also some bad,
In almost any town.
Some just can't seem to do enough,
While others do not care,
If they have food enough to eat,
Or clothes enough to wear.
One man I know, who beats them all,
Don't seem to give a red.
I doubt if he would hit a lick,
If his children starved for bread.
I passed his house one sunny day,
He sat out in the shade.
I stopped and asked real friendly like,
What kind of crop he made.
He said, "You know when I plant seed,
The grass outgrows the corn,
And you can't find a cotton stalk,
Among the bramble thorn.
The cockle burrs choke out the wheat,
The tater bugs get fat.
The beetles eat my bean vines up,
Now what you think of that?
This spring an idea hit me hard,
They thought they had me treed.
So friend, I played it all real smart,
And didn't plant a seed."
-- C. D. Keith --

Then And Now

Sometimes I remember way back on the farm,
When I was a lad of a boy.
Now some of the memories just make me feel sad,
While others fill me with joy.
It seems that the winters were bitter and cold,
With the snow and ice on the trees.
If you stood by the fire, you'd burn on the front,
While behind you almost would freeze.
The spring would come early, or else it was late,
And the trees were wond' rously tall.
The bees and the birdies would fly all around,
And the snakes and the lizards would crawl.
The summers were scorchers and usually dry,
You couldn't feel much of a breeze.
If the crops didn't suffer, everything was alright,
With plenty of fruit on the trees.
The autumns were gorgeous with colors galore,
And I loved them except for one thing.
They always reminded that winter was nigh,
But then! After winter came spring.
Well the winter's still cold, the summer's still hot,
And I take them as well as I can.
I except the big difference in back then and now,
Is the boy who has changed to a man.
-- C. D. Keith --

Tater's

I heard a preacher preach one day,
On the "Tater" family.
And some of the things he had to say,
They got right next to me.
He said that almost every church,
At lest had one or two.
It gave me lots to think about,
Could he mean me or you?
"Dick-tater" seems to head the list,
He bosses everything.
He tells the preacher what to preach,
The singers what to sing.
Miss "Adady-tater's" next in line,
She likes to start a row,
Between two members of the church,
And brother she knows how.
And then "Spec-tater" comes along,
As calm as he can be.
He doesn't pray, or sing, or shout,
He simply comes to see.
"Cold-tater" never seems to thaw,
He's cold the year around.
You could set him on a red-hot stove,
And never melt him down.
"Hot-tater's" always hopping up,
She likes to shout and sing.
And if she lived right every day,
She'd be worth everything.
I guess "Sweet-tater" may be next,
He smiles and shakes your hand.
But just as soon as you are gone,
He'll ruin you if he can.
If we could sack these "Tater's" up,
And ship them far away.
The church would be much better off,
At least that's what I say.
And though there's quite a few of these,
In churches where I go.
I still find people in the church,
The very best I know.
-- C. D. Keith --

A Friend

( A Tribute to Boxer who loved me more than I deserved )

Some say that a dog is man's dearest friend,
I guess that it is so.
He certainly likes to stay where you stay,
And to go where you go.
In a moment of anger, if a man strikes his dog,
He likely will run off and hide.
But a very soft call from the master he loves,
Will cause him to run to his side.
A dog never seems to carry a grudge,
Like humans we see all along.
He just wags his tail the same as to say,
My Master! You've done me no wrong.
If men could acquire a dog's attitude,
What a wonderful place here to live.
For when we don't know that we have been wronged,
There's never a need to forgive.
-- C. D. Keith --

A Lady's Purse

Did you ever look in a lady's purse,
To find the keys to her car?
If you didn't, then try it sometime my friend,
I think that you're in for a jar.
It doesn't seem possible that one small bag,
Could hold all the things you will find.
There likely will be a long piece of string,
A dozen receipts of some kind.
A thimble, a needle, a spool of white thread,
A dirty old comb full of hair.
A few teeth are missing at the end of the comb,
Who cares? There's plenty to spare.
A pair of shoe laces, one black and one brown,
Some lipstick as red as a beet.
A sterling can opener, all rusty and black,
A whistle that will blow, Tweet, Tweet.
I could ramble and rave the rest of the day,
On the things you will find near and far.
But I'll place a small bet, when the bottom you reach,
That the car keys are out in the car.
-- C. D. Keith --

A Kitten And A Bumblebee

A little, fluffy, yellow kitten,
In the early spring,
Slipping, pouncing, rolling, playing,
With a piece of string.
Never still but just a moment,
Cute as he could be.
Then he saw the flying motion,
Of a bumblebee.
The bumblebee is search of nectar,
Flying all around,
Lit upon a primrose blossom,
Almost on the ground.
Like his larger, Striped cousin,
In a distant land.
Suddenly, the playful kitten,
Was a hunter grand.
First he slipped a little closer,
Quite as anything.
Then he bunched his little body,
Ready for the spring.
With a sudden, pouncing motion,
Landing on the rose.
The bumblebee without a warning,
Stung him on the nose.
The kitten quickly turned in panic,
Fled to parts unknown.
He had learned a painful lesson,
Leave the bees alone.
-- C. D. Keith --

Waiting

Do you feel that Jesus soon will be returning,
That before much longer, He'll be on his way?
Jesus promised that he'd soon come back from Heaven,
Just to take His precious, waiting bride away.
When He comes He said He'd bring His reward with Him,
And I know that it could happen any day.
I just feel like Jesus soon will br returning,
And who knows but what He may be on His way.
We who live will not prevent those who are sleeping,
For the Lord, Himself, is coming on that day.
When the trumpet sounds, the dead will rise to meet Him,
Then the living, too, will rise and fly away.
I'm expecting any day to hear the trumpet,
Yes, I'm listening for His shout both night and day.
In a moment's time the graves could all burst open,
In about ten seconds more I'll fly away.
If you look into my bedroom some bright morning,
And you fail to find me where I often lay.
It just could be I have gone up in the rapture,
So my brother, don't you guess you ought to pray.
-- C. D. Keith --


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C.D.Keith's Poems 1, 2, 3, 4, Coming Soon!5,




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