A Strange Mind

 - Joy S. Barefoot

 

The old woman

sat contentedly

weeding her molding

black concrete sidewalk.

A small head

peaked from underneath

the bushes.

Oh, she thought,

a turtle, so cute.

She went on with

her weeding.

She looked again.

the neck was longer.

“Eeek” she screamed,

threw her trowel

high into the air,

fell onto her backside,

rolling away,

as she tried to escape

the turtle that became

a wicked evil

and most frightening

garden snake.

Rubber Band Games

Rubber Band Games
           (a genetic thing)
               -Joy Stalvey Barefoot

Now where, oh where, could he be?
Hadn't seen him for quite a while.
Things were a little too quiet
so I was searching his mischievous smile.

I called out from the back door,
perhaps he had gone outside,
but nature was still in order
 . . . not there, I was satisfied.

Room by room, I searched the house.
That grandson was hiding somewhere.
The guest room door was closed up tight
so I figured I'd find him in there.

I opened the door to have a look
and Granddad peered up at me.
He was down on his knees, behind the bed
 . . . caught, red-handed, I could see.

He looked at me with a sheepish grin;
then sighted right down his hand
at a little blond head, ducking and weaving,
as he fired off his rubber band.

In Honor of Little Hunters Everywhere

Little Hunter

-Joy S. Barefoot

I’m just a little boy;

I don’t stand very high

but when I’m all grown up

like daddy, I’m gonna try

to kill that big old buck

that goes walking in the woods;

gonna get a big fat turkey, too.

I know it will taste good.

Then, I can take the antlers

from the big old buck I shot

and hang ‘em by the chimney;

they’ll be proud of me, a lot!

Feathers from that tukey’s tail,

I’ll carry ‘em and hold ‘em.

I’ll pull ‘em out and show ‘em;

prove I shot it, like I told ‘em.

I know

I’m just a little boy

and I can’t tote a gun

but every day I’m growing.

Mama says “You’re growing, son.”

So, when I’m all grown up

and big, just like my daddy,

I’ll go hunt that big old buck

and make my daddy proud of me.

Shoes

Shoes


My shoes are piled up by the door

and scattered out across the floor.

I can't find any shoes to wear

'cause they're mixed up everywhere!

There's one boot beside the bed

but the other's someplace else instead.

                                                                    -Joy S. Barefoot

Readin', Writin' and Rockin'

The play was feel good and happy

children each playing a part

marching in to their places;

all practiced, and ready to start.

Kasey was at the piano,

fantasy music to play.

The practicing choir got rowdy

with voices babbling away.

A day in the life of a schoolhouse,

a day in the life of a child.

It was readin', writin' and rockin'

the little red schoolhouse was wild.

finally, finale . . . finished;

time to go home and to bed

while readin', writin' and rockin'

is still going 'round in his head!

-Joy S. Barefoot

Marshmallow Roast

A great big fire

leaping all about.

I run around;

yell and shout

I'm everywhere;

I'm helping out.

I stab marshmallows

on twigs and sticks;

when they cool

I bite and lick

to get that marshmallow

off that stick!

-Joy S. Barefoot

Hungry Halloween Fire

bonfire

in the night

tongues of fire

burning bright

blazing tongues

to slurp the night

bonfire

burning bright

-Joy S. Barefoot

The Pot and the Kettle

The pot began

to criticize

the kettle,

saying

"You

are just as black

as you can be!"

The kettle

dropped her bale*

to peer

above it

and said,

"Any day,

you're twice

as black as me!"

  
-Joy S. Barefoot

*The metal handle on an old iron pot

Falling Leaves--

Gather leaves

from the trees

Press them flat

like a mat

Tape them down

all around

Search and look

in a book

Write their names,

none the same

Know each one

before you're done.

-Joy S. Barefoot

The Chair’s Dilemma

The chair got tired of being sat on

by fat and boney people.

He told the woodman building chairs,

“I’d rather be a steeple.”

The woodman observed the waiting chair

and said, “If I make you a steeple,

then you’ll be getting your bell rung

by fat and boney people!”

-Joy S. Barefoot

Victoria’s Butterfly

Soft Mr. Butterfly,

come here and flutterby

me.

Velvet wings mystify;

sit here and rest on my

knee.

-Joy S. Barefoot

Owl of the Night

Owl In the Night

Two big eyes
one big hoot
scary old owl
makes me scoot.

Two big eyes
on a swivel head
up in the oak tree
fills me with dread.

 

Swoosh of wings;

piercing bright eyes;

off I run

with frightened cries!

                   

 -Joy S. Barefoot

The Parade

I had a maid

who stayed

in the shade

with her cat

big and fat

in high hats.

We had a friend

at the end

of the bend

who would plow

with a cow

I do vow.

with the maid

in the shade

the cat

in high hats

the friend

at the bend

and the cow

that did plow

it was quite

a parade

in the shade!

The "otteds"

The old tree said "I'm knotted."

The old boat said "I'm rotted."

The old cow said "I'm spotted."

and the ladybug said "I'm dotted."

The notepad said "I'm jotted."

The inkpad said "I'm blotted."

The geranium said "I'm potted."

and they all got up and trotted!"

Nonsense Rhyme

I went to the shore

and sat on the beach;

dug in the sand

and ate me a peach.

I went to the hills

and climbed on a mountain;

found me a spring

and made me a fountain.

I went to the desert

where the sun was hot

and learned that a cactus

is a touch-me-not!

Beauty Shops

People have curly hair

People have straight hair

Scissors go craaa-zzy

snip, snip, snip.

Reading magazines;

watching people talk;

people in the beauty shop

talk, talk, talk.

Curly hair, straight hair

clip, clip, clip.

Scissors go a flying

snip, snip, snip!

The Seashore

The Seashore


I run through the wind;

blink at the sun;

dig holes in the sand

'cause everything's fun.

I lay on the shore

happy as can be.

I taste salt water

that churns in the sea.

I wish I could be

like the seagulls that fly

with sun on my wings

and clouds floating by.

 -Joy S. Barefoot

Crawdad Huntin'

Schmuck!

Schmuck!

Schmuck!

the creek's muddy clay

sucks at my boots;

sucks them right off

my cold and muddy feet

as I'm huntin' for crawdads.

Books and People (Two of a Kind)

You can't tell

a book by its covers

You can't tell a man

by his clothes

You have to look

deep inside

for the truth

about both of those.

-Joy S. Barefoot

Me and Old Blue

Me and Old Blue

My nose,

like an arrow,

pokes a hole

in the wind's

icy breath

as "Old Blue"

sails me

down the hill

in March.

-Joy S. Barefoot

The Bedstead*

Grandma didn't like it when

I jumped upon her bed

She said "You'll break the bed down.

You'll break the whole bed stead!"

I didn't know what a bed stead was

but sure as you must know,

I jumped up there when Granddad chased

and broke the whole bed stead!

  
 *a wooden or metal frame, supporting the mattress and box springs
-Joy S. Barefoot

Make a Wish

zip

zing

a flashing thing

zip

zing

a shining thing

zip

zing

gone!

(written about a night on the Blue Ridge Parkway when we laid on blankets under the night sky, watching a meteorite shower.)-Joy S. Barefoot

Johnny Pig

Little pig, little pig,

run, run, run!

Run fast, Johnny Pig

soup pot’s on.

Mama’s gonna cook a pot

of beans today.

She would like a little meat,

I heard her say.

Mama, Johnny Pig is gone.

He's out of his pen

and I can’t tell you where he is

to save my skin!

Little pig, little pig,

come back home

dinner’s over; we’re full

and soup’s all gone!

(When I was young we had a pet pig of the above name. When he was killed we wouldn’t eat the meat unless it was disguised or we were assured it was not our “Johnny Pig”.

-Joy S. Barefoot

The Boy and the Sea

They raced toward each other

the boy and the sea.

He turned and ran

with giggles of glee.

Roaring behind him

just like in a dream,

the faster he ran

the slower it seemed.

His eyes told a story

as he ran from the sea

of fear in his heart

as he raced to be free.

Crashing around him

in a thunderous roar

the sea fell about him,

white foam on the shore.

He stood in the sand

looking out at the sea,

watching the waves

rolling on, endlessly.

He begged of his mother,

“When will it stop?”

“Never”, she told him.

“The sea never stops.”

They raced toward each other

the boy and the sea,

again and again,

with giggles of glee.

-Joy S. Barefoot

Grandpa's Visits

When Grandpa use to say good-bye

I'd sometimes go inside and cry.

He always plays and makes me smile.

I laugh until I think that I'll

just wet my pants if he won't stop.

He tickles 'til I think I'll pop!

He plays "creep mouse" all up my back

I don't like when he starts to pack.

It's lots of fun and happy times

playing games and saying rhymes.

Now we have "no cry goodbyes"

and I don't go to my room and cry.

Morning Watch

Grandma sits

on the back steps.

Her elbows are on her knees,

steadying her camera.

I sneak out the screen door

to watch the crane

at the water's edge.

Grandma whispers,

"He moves

like a snake on legs."

She slowly lifts her hand

to show me

where the goldfinch sits

on the pink zinnia.

The crane disappeared,

right into the morning mist.

We never saw him go.

We never heard a sound

. . . just like a snake on legs.

Serpent Surprise

I went to see the peacock

and got a big surprise

a great big snake was layin' there

right before my eyes.

Granny had her notched stick,

she always carries it;

she whacked that snake across the head

and wasn't scared a bit.

My other Grandma's scared o' snakes.

she woulda turned and run.

She woulda been so awful scared

and thought that was no fun

but Granny's not afraid at all.

She killed him like a man;

then went into the kitchen

and notched her stick again.

All the snakes 'round Stony Fork

I bet they'll take to runnin'

every time they look around

and see my Granny comin'!

-Joy S. Barefoot

(Another of grandson Kasey's stories)

Wharton Park*

In Wharton Park is a quiet place

where I just go and wait;

watch the path beneath my feet

or run through the boxwood gates.

I like it when I'm all alone;

no one there but me.

I can be anything I want

when no one's there to see!

-Joy S. Barefoot

*An historic house and gardens in Bedford VA

Foolish Names

If your name is found in a public place

scribbled on a wall

it tells a lot about your face

and where you like to scrawl.

I'll tell you what my Mama said;

she said it would disgrace us,

to see my name scrawled on a wall

found in public places.

Tooth Fairies

Tooth Fairies

are about as big

as three flies.

How can a tooth fairy

carry money

bigger than she is?

Well, fairies are magic

with magical powers;

strong shimmery wings

and special secrets.

They are about as big

as three flies.

(This poem is based on a conversation with my grandson, Kasey)

My Secret Garden

I found a secret garden,
a place to hide and play,
where no one else and find me;
where I can go and stay.

I found some flowers there
where spindly weeds have grown.
There's tunnels through the boxwoods;
the ground's as smooth as stone.

Birds sing in the trees;
spider webs hang low;
I sit up on the rock seat;
my legs swing to and fro.

Perhaps you'd like it there
to hide and run and play,
but if I share this secret place,
my secret's gone away.
-Joy S. Barefoot

This poem reflects on Wharton Gardens in Bedford Virginia where my grandson played as a child.

Orange Pushups

Soft, orange
sherbet,
creamy
sherbet,
waiting . . .
in the freezer
at Grandma's.
Soft sherbet
the color
of cantaloupe,
sherbet pushups
to slurp, lick,
drip and melt.
I go goofy
just thinking
of those soft
pushups
waiting . . .
in the freezer
at Grandma's.

-Joy S. Barefoot

Dining with Ladybug

Cheery little ladybug
on a purple coneflower
red gown; black buttons
dressed up for the dinner hour.

Here comes handsome mister bug;

black tuxedo, sharply pressed;
coming to see Ladybug;
dressed up in her very best.

-Joy S. Barefoot

(This poem was written originally for a very dear little girl, suffering cancer. She loved ladybugs and "Ladybug" was her nickname.)

Beach Bubbles

High
above her twirling head
trails a plastic wand,
out of which spills
a chain of spherical rainbows
bobbing and weaving
up ,down,
’round and ’round
as her hair, like a giant paint brush,
swishes the yellow halo of hair
framing her face
where the sun
has kissed the apples
of her cheeks
too many times today.
She stretches
and reaches high,
to re-capture
spent bubbles.

She cannot hold
the rainbows,
drawn away
by ocean winds . . . .
-Joy S. Barefoot

Thunderous Dragon

The storm came like a dragon
with a terrible, terrible roar;
the snap of his teeth was the lightning
that sent me down to the floor.

I could hear him grumble and rumble
as he moved to the north from the south.
Under the bed, I quivered
while I watched the snap of his mouth.

The light from the flash of his teeth
made Aunt Agatha spookier still
as she hung in the frame on the wall
and I had a shivery chill.

As soon as I caught the vision
and heard his terrible roar
the windows rattled a warning;
Aunt Agatha crashed to the floor!

Then I felt his wandering footsteps
and I heard his thunderous roar
as he wandered back into the darkness
with Aunt Aggie and me on the floor.

-Joy Stalvey Barefoot

Grandpa's Phoebe Bird

Grandpa has a Phoebe bird.
He showed her nest to me,
with five blue eggs inside it;
he picked me up to see.

He said "You cannot touch them.
She'll leave the nest she's made.
She'll leave it all behind her,
and the five blue eggs she's laid."

He said to listen carefully
to her her call her name.
It's "Feebie, Feebie, Feebie".
She always calls the same.
-Joy S. Barefoot

Hoots, Howls and Belly Growls

Hoots, howls and belly growls;
Grandpa growled at me
while I was sitting on his lap,
just resting, peacefully

It started slow and low;
I hardly hear it coming;
got louder, louder, louder;
sounded like a bear, or something.

Now Grandpa didn't mean it;
didn't mean to growl at me
'cause I raised up to look at him
and he was sleeping,
I could see!
-Joy S. Barefoot