Page 4
POEMS
BY BOB BLANSHAN
BY BOB BLANSHAN
| Barbara (“To Barbara on her 40th birthday”) How swiftly by the years do fly – to make us older you and I It seems not so very long ago – we took our friends to the window to show Our first born and pointed with pride To the cutest baby they had inside The nursery in her little bed Not much hair upon her head No it seems not so long ago You played with dolls And dressed them so Then off to school and the years flew by Elementary and Jr. High After high school years you said goodbye To home and went out to try Your wings to see if you could fly Then came your home and nursery As you began your family You watched them grow up and now you sigh How quickly by the years do fly As you know they’ll soon be gone To establish for themselves a home And with this information There is at least this consolation Life begins at forty, or so they say So this really is your natal day Paul (“For Paul Lamm for his birthday 2-1-02”) Hope when you rise on Your birthday you can tee Off on a round of fun as Good as a hole in one would be The day will not be in the “rough” and you will be able to avoid all “hazards.” The “bogey” man will let you along, and a “birdie” especially an “eagle” set the tone for the day and all day you are on the “fair way.” Nancy (“For Nancy”) It was the 3rd of November in 54 We had two daughters, about to add one more I had hoped for a son but knew it was chancy And sure enough we called it Nancy As a baby Nancy sure was a beaut Mama especially thought her button nose was so cute She tried the drug scene before she was two Had her stomach pumped before she was through Nancy was good at saying things her own way Going to the park on a picnic, if she had her say Was just going on a parknic And then she didn’t ask mom to make a sandwich for me It was “put peanut butter on bread and bend it” you see Nancy grew up and the time came to leave So off to college she went very ??? To some young girls that might be menacing She took it in stride and called it “Dennising” She did volunteer work at jobs some wouldn’t have done Cleaning kennels at the dog pound for one She kind of went to the dogs with dog shows and training daily With Charlie, Brigita, Benson, Cody and Bailey Nancy doesn’t look as old as the calendars show But if she is that old she’s sure a nifty fifty Suzanne (“For Suzanne”) It was in 1956, in Nebraska, in Tilden We added to our number of children There were three daughters so a son was planned But we kept the baby and named it Suzanne She was kind of cute so I figured one day We would get the boys in some other way So we settled for girls and my thinking was right Several boys succumbed with hardly a fight Growing up can be hard and soon Suzanne learned If you play with fire you just might get burned She looked pretty bad, but it wasn’t long Till you could hardly tell there was anything wrong Then came the days of the scratching of strings And the screeching and sawing that learning brings For into her life a viola came From then on it was never the same Screek and scratch was now the rule Quiet only in bed or when at school But ‘ere long pretty sounds came out of the thing For Suzanne soon learned to really handle those strings She played the viola at school and went from there To Minnesota All-State Orchestra – first chair Then on to college with music still the theme When all at once Curt appeared on the scene Handsome he was, a real head turner Music was pushed to the back burner He could truck, and fly, he also could farm And I guess he could really turn on the charm He crooned, she swooned, and had it so bad Couldn’t even wait to be married by Dad Marriage for them proved to be a sonata (music again) For there was Drew, but first Renata Now you are 40 and your life is begun But don’t let them fool you, it’s really half done It’s what you do with the part that remains That will determine whether it was loss or gain |
To Amy On Her Fortieth
(January 26, 2002)
How quickly by the years do fly
To make us older, you and I
From nine pounds to – oops, I better not say
The years sped by quickly until today
Many memories could be called to mind
And sorting them out, somewhere we’ll find
A baby who came because of her brother
We didn’t want to quit with him, we wanted another.
When some things come, it’s best not to know
Until it happens, and it was Amy Jo.
Two things pleased you, one was to eat
The other when someone was rubbing your feet.
You could talk your little sister into wanting to do
Whatever it was you wanted her to,
Like going ahead of you up the stair
To see if it was safe for you up there
The promise of money for tickling your toes,
How much you owe her the Lord only knows
Then quite quickly came a change in toys
From playing with dolls you found out there were boys.
Well, the years have passed quickly away
There was much sunshine, but some rainy days.
With 5 sisters and 2 brothers, one waiting up there,
With parents who love you and good friends galore,
With a husband and 5 children, how could you ask for a
whole lot more?
Besides this a lot of talents were given to you
And a good sense of humor to help you get through
Times like this when you wanted to cry
“I’m getting older and about to die!”
But older ones say, “You’re just getting started,
Life begins at forty so why heavy hearted?
So drag out that humor and not your regretter
Say “I’m not just getting older, I’m getting better!”
So, here’s to forty! Take it and shove it!
I’m just getting started and I’m gonna love it!
Dale
(“Dale’s 40th")
40 years, it’s been a while since you came to bring us joy
We both were very happy when told “It’s a boy”
As parents we were very proud
A daughter and a son
A girl for Mom and a boy for me
But there were more to come and come and come
A chubby boy called Smiley, full of giggles and of glee
We wondered if he would turn out to be a prodigy
We never dreamed on your first day of school
Just how long it would be
How many years would go by
Ere you got your last degree
You grew and grew to 6’ 2”
We thought that you would stop there
But no, you had to keep it up till
You grew right through your hair
Twas said you wore tennis shoes to run from girls who
came to play
But the tennis shoe went flat when Linda came your way
You learned in school that by the rule one and one
made two
But experience is a teacher too, that there are
exceptions to that rule
For marriage has a little trick
Of changing that arithmetic
And 2 plus 2 makes 4 or more
Events combine to make time fly
And age us as the years go by
And we’re not so young and sporty
But for you there’s hope
So don’t you mope
They say life begins at forty
Rebecca
(For Rebecca’s 40th)
40 years have come and gone
Since God sent you into our home
So like a doll with 10 fingers and toes
A little bundle we called Rose
Though it doesn’t seem that could be so
The evidence will let us know
Too much water under the bridge has passed
And 40 years have gone so fast
Of evidences there are 3
Aaron, Gillian and Emily
And now with them almost grown
We know just how much time has flown
Sometimes the road’s a little rough
And we want to cry out “enough!”
Sometimes we fail to understand
And veer off into sinking sand
But we keep on going and eventually find
We have what we need for peace of mind
A family to love and treasures galore
Just how much there is in store
As more time passes it will reveal
What is to come but for now we feel
Thankful that God had chose
To give us our Rebecca Rose
My Valentine
It’s been some time since I asked you
If you would just be mine
Many years have gone but I’m still glad
That you’re my valentine
Love,
Bob
(He drew hearts all over the paper too, one with a
Cupid's arrow through it)
(January 26, 2002)
How quickly by the years do fly
To make us older, you and I
From nine pounds to – oops, I better not say
The years sped by quickly until today
Many memories could be called to mind
And sorting them out, somewhere we’ll find
A baby who came because of her brother
We didn’t want to quit with him, we wanted another.
When some things come, it’s best not to know
Until it happens, and it was Amy Jo.
Two things pleased you, one was to eat
The other when someone was rubbing your feet.
You could talk your little sister into wanting to do
Whatever it was you wanted her to,
Like going ahead of you up the stair
To see if it was safe for you up there
The promise of money for tickling your toes,
How much you owe her the Lord only knows
Then quite quickly came a change in toys
From playing with dolls you found out there were boys.
Well, the years have passed quickly away
There was much sunshine, but some rainy days.
With 5 sisters and 2 brothers, one waiting up there,
With parents who love you and good friends galore,
With a husband and 5 children, how could you ask for a
whole lot more?
Besides this a lot of talents were given to you
And a good sense of humor to help you get through
Times like this when you wanted to cry
“I’m getting older and about to die!”
But older ones say, “You’re just getting started,
Life begins at forty so why heavy hearted?
So drag out that humor and not your regretter
Say “I’m not just getting older, I’m getting better!”
So, here’s to forty! Take it and shove it!
I’m just getting started and I’m gonna love it!
Dale
(“Dale’s 40th")
40 years, it’s been a while since you came to bring us joy
We both were very happy when told “It’s a boy”
As parents we were very proud
A daughter and a son
A girl for Mom and a boy for me
But there were more to come and come and come
A chubby boy called Smiley, full of giggles and of glee
We wondered if he would turn out to be a prodigy
We never dreamed on your first day of school
Just how long it would be
How many years would go by
Ere you got your last degree
You grew and grew to 6’ 2”
We thought that you would stop there
But no, you had to keep it up till
You grew right through your hair
Twas said you wore tennis shoes to run from girls who
came to play
But the tennis shoe went flat when Linda came your way
You learned in school that by the rule one and one
made two
But experience is a teacher too, that there are
exceptions to that rule
For marriage has a little trick
Of changing that arithmetic
And 2 plus 2 makes 4 or more
Events combine to make time fly
And age us as the years go by
And we’re not so young and sporty
But for you there’s hope
So don’t you mope
They say life begins at forty
Rebecca
(For Rebecca’s 40th)
40 years have come and gone
Since God sent you into our home
So like a doll with 10 fingers and toes
A little bundle we called Rose
Though it doesn’t seem that could be so
The evidence will let us know
Too much water under the bridge has passed
And 40 years have gone so fast
Of evidences there are 3
Aaron, Gillian and Emily
And now with them almost grown
We know just how much time has flown
Sometimes the road’s a little rough
And we want to cry out “enough!”
Sometimes we fail to understand
And veer off into sinking sand
But we keep on going and eventually find
We have what we need for peace of mind
A family to love and treasures galore
Just how much there is in store
As more time passes it will reveal
What is to come but for now we feel
Thankful that God had chose
To give us our Rebecca Rose
My Valentine
It’s been some time since I asked you
If you would just be mine
Many years have gone but I’m still glad
That you’re my valentine
Love,
Bob
(He drew hearts all over the paper too, one with a
Cupid's arrow through it)