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