| Winter in Minnesota When winter comes to this great state some people just turn up the stove and hibernate But some people see the beauty so fine of the snow so white covering up the pine After an ice storm the pines just glow A beautiful sight along with the snow The road so slippery you must travel slow but that gives you more time to enjoy the show The resorts used to buckle up when winter came open all year now for winter games With skiing and snowmobiling, and ice sailing too many other enjoyments to help winter pass through It is a state some people reply of only two seasons, winter and 4th of July But there are some who say they knew of the 4th when it froze on that day too Norwegians and Swedes and some Finlanders too with a sprinkling of Germans and what have you With lutefisk, lefse and Paul Bunyan and Babe and 10,000 lakes upon which people play We drive on the ice and fish on it too from November to March before we are through Yes, winter in Minnesota is cold but it is grand You won’t find better in all of this land |
| Spring in Minnesota The change into spring is not an easy thing ‘ere winter releases its hold But time will come when there is more sun that finally puts an end to the cold But winter’s not all bad and pretty the show To see the ground all covered with snow And ice on the trees is a beautiful sight ‘though that’s not what I’m asked to write Spring in Minnesota seems to come slowly With April as a buffer between Some snow, rain, and sleet for a time will compete Then more and more sun will be seen Spring shows us God hasn’t given up yet With new life awakening, the stage is set Not only green grass, but budding green of the trees And return of the duck, the birds, and the bees Minnesota is said to have two seasons – winter and the 4th of July But that’s not the truth, in fact it’s a lie So before you put Minnesota on the shelf Come up and enjoy the 4 seasons yourself |
ODES TO MINNESOTA
POEMS
BY BOB BLANSHAN
BY BOB BLANSHAN
| Eternity Rap (“written as a “rap” for youth winter retreat at Bemidji Church, February 1988”) You got to have faith when the going’s tough If you ain’t got faith, you ain’t got enough To keep you going When others are showing the feather For life and Satan and fate will bring Troubles and trials and everything The rain will fall – the winds will blow And floods will rise around you Unless you are built on the rock you know Life will surely down you But faith will show you how to go And give you the strength to go it And the storms will pass and the sun will shine Before you hardly know it So give God a chance to turn you around He’ll put your feet on solid ground He’ll give you a life that’s abundant too Now here is what you have to do Believe in God and what He said If you don’t do it, man, you’re dead Decide in your heart to walk His way And be baptized to wash your sins away As part of the Church now faithful be And God will surely bless you, you’ll see Then it won’t be long – you’ll be singing a song That will last right through eternity Christmas In Florida Twas the night before Christmas But the grass was all green Nary a snowflake Anywhere to be seen Yes, houses were decorated with Christmas lights And all over town there were beautiful sights In almost every block you would find Houses and trees with figures outlined Christmas carols were sung, but no ding-a ling Of the sleigh bells up north we used to hear ring No nipping of Jack Frost on your nose You didn’t need anything to cover your toes Last minute shoppers with no coat on their backs But the same kind of purchases were found in their sacks The same merry smiles are found on their face And Merry Christmas heard all over the place So I guess wherever you live, in warm or in cold The same old story will ever be told And it’s not whether you live there or here If there is peace and goodwill, this time of the year Thanksgiving As Thanksgiving time comes near again My mind goes back to the hard times when we had so little way back then But Thanksgiving still means quite a lot Even though there were many things we had not We still have many things that God has brought It seems the poor who live from day to day In being thankful have the most to say While others go thanklessly on their way Of all our holidays I life Thanksgiving the best But to many it seems, just eat turkey and rest. Not so with God's people, who really are blessed. God gave us the world, with everything it holds There are far more blessings than just silver and gold So many in fact, the half will never be told. Our cup full of blessings continues to over flow So here's to all the blessings I know We appreciate and thank you for all you bestow. |
Paul’s Journey to Rome (1989)
From there to there was quite a ways
‘twas no easy trip we made
Some of those with us were fooled
And some of them afraid
And it was good to see them way out there
Though the trip wasn’t made with ease
We did it with a breeze
And I didn’t even have to pay fare
Marriage Is For Two You Know
Marriage is for two you know
You are only half when alone
And as your love for each other grows
The two becomes more and more as one
Marriage is for two you know
For some things you need to share
Each joy is enhanced and each sorrow eased
When you are with someone who cares
Marriage doesn’t stay at two you know
It may be three with more to come
But that’s all right for it is so
It takes a heap of living to make a home
So here’s to marriage an honorable state
And having been through it I’m here to relate
Yes, man is only half finished when alone
When he is married he is all done
The Old and the New
(“Written for a concert with Amy at a Senior
Citizens building in Orlando”)
Modern trends have made us wonder
What this world is coming to
And there are many things to ponder
What will happen ere it’s through
They say a pad’s a bed, and bread is money
Or “he’s a nerd” – it all sounds funny
The decline of morals is frightening
And we all know it’s a terrible thing
Free love and shacking up
Has brought to many a bitter cup
It used to love and marriage and then a baby
carriage
But all of that has been disparaged
With the younger and newer generation
This has caused quite a sensation
But I didn’t think I’d ever talk
Of older ones who seem to walk
In the footsteps of the youth
And get involved in things uncouth
But there are rumors that I hear
Strange things to my listening ear
Of a woman who is among us
Whose life is not very decorous
For she lives with several men
Entertains them time and time again
And I think its time I pointed out
What this woman’s been about
So I’ll name just a few
Of these awful men for you
The first one’s name is of course
He’s an Indian – it’s CharleyHorse
She didn’t like the way he acted
This man Lumbago was contacted
And when he no longer did excite us
She made the switch to Arthuritis
But now that colder weather is upon us
She switched to his older brother, Burrsitus
Well that woman saw the light, and kicked him out
But, she’ll never learn – now she’s got the gout