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