“Jack Frost” by russ mckay
Posted on May 14, 2025
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Is there really a guy named Jack Frost?
Whose job it is to crisscross
The northern states all
At the end of the fall
Making sure that summer is lost
I can see that he’s been around
In the morning I look on the ground
If there’s lots of white
He came by last night
But who knows where he can be found?
I don’t really believe in him
I think it’s just somebody’s whim
I mean where does he go?
Is the next guy Jack Snow?
His existence seems rather dim
Mom says it’s just an old tale
That he coats every hill and each dale
But I’d ensure early spring
When Jack Thaw does his thing
I’d put that Jack Frost in jail!
If You Were A Grape by russ mckay
Posted on May 12, 2025
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If you were a grape you might hang in a bunch
And some hungry kid might have you for lunch
If you were a grape maybe grape juice you’d be
You’d have to be squeezed but you would flow free
If you were a grape you could be a jam or jelly
And you might wind up in somebody’s belly
If you were a grape you might become wine
You’d be in a bottle for a very long time
Yes a grape has potential to be different things
Just like girls and boys that can be anything
Your potential is so great it’s simply amazin’
In fact I’m so old I’ve turned into a raisin
“Humility” by russ mckay
Posted on May 4, 2025
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Being ” humble” should be our goal
From childhood up that’s what we’re told
But it gets tougher as you grow old
Your past triumphs are just like gold
You want to tell all you’ve done
And all the prizes that you’ve won
And you think that it’s really fun
To boast about a life well run
But it gets tough to find a listener
An attention paying true parishioner
Most have heard your tales before
When you arrive…they’re out the door
Yes it’s far better to be humble
Not being so’s a social stumble
I tell you this from experience
I’d start to talk, they’d start to wince
But I kept going just the same
They didn’t think I knew their game
I was never burdened with humility
What I seek in others is not in me
Although my recent audience
Now numbers less than few
It seems that I’ve just one reader left
And I’m sorry…but it’s you!
“Just Like Me” by russ mckay
Posted on April 26, 2025
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There once was a town along Pickelman’s Pike
Where all the kids looked exactly alike
They had the same color eyes and the same color hair
They even chose the same clothes to wear
It became very tough for their parents to tell
Which child was theirs and which one was…well
The kid down the block or the kid up the street
Each kid was identical…each kid that you’d meet
As you might imagine it was tough for the teachers
And difficult too for all of the preachers
If one kid was bad they ALL were in trouble
When two kids were there you always saw double
The whole town agreed a solution was needed
The school principal’s idea was the one that was heeded
. Each kid would wear a number…at school and in town
At least ’til a better solution was found
Of course the kids would switch numbers to confuse everyone
The parents were angry but the kids thought it fun
The kids knew who they were but weren’t too sure
The identity of anyone else anymore
So the whole town decided in the future there’d be
For each kid a unique look and personality
Kids tastes started changing…their manner and style
Each kid developed an individual smile
Soon the whole town decided it was better to be
One of a kind and just “one” of me
When everyone’s different everyone wins
But now what do we do with the Robinson twins?
“Barney The Bunny” by russ mckay
Posted on April 19, 2025
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Barney the bunny had lots of barnyard friends, and protection, and plenty of food, but it was near Easter and he was sad.
“What’s the matter Barney?” inquired Crawford the Crow.
“Ever heard of the Easter Bunny, Craw?”
“Sure, but I must admit we don’t participate, except when they throw out the Easter Basket colored grass….we LOVE that stuff!”
“Well, I KNOW I’m never gonna qualify for the ACTUAL Easter bunny, there’s a line and a list so long that
nobody knows where the end of it actually is!”
“But you gotta cheer up Barn ole Pal…at least you aren’t gonna be a chocolate bunny!” Then Crawford started to whisper…”I hear that kids bite off the ears first!”
“Oh….I heard that too….but at least I wouldn’t be able to hear what they were gonna bite off next!
“Ha Buddy…you are the eternally optimistic one. Cheer up! Something will come up…it always does.” Then
Crawford “Cawed, “ and flew off.
Then Barney began to think. “I know that I can’t be the REAL Easter Bunny, but maybe I could be like Santa’s helpers and be E. B.’s helper here in the woods. In fact, maybe I could make chocolate bugs and worms for the birds, and chocolate corn for the hens, and chocolate bones for the dogs, and….and….but where am I gonna find the chocolate?”
Barney thought about the little neighborhood store on Union Avenue, where the nice Lady and husband and daughters also lived. They always left little bits of food outside. They might have been thinking that they were feeding a stray dog or cat…but it was really me!
“I bet if I could explain to them how nice it would be to gift my animal friends some chocolate for Easter, they might want to help with some old candy bars or even hot chocolate powder, and I could make the candy myself. Bunnys can do a lot more than regular folks think.”
Barney would have to think long and hard and maybe even get some ideas from Oscar the Owl.”…he’s so smart.”
After Barney woke up Oscar in the middle of the afternoon, he wasn’t very happy. But as a friend, he listened to Barney. “Let me think about that and get back to you at sunset!”
Barney waited, and true to his word, at sunset, Oscar came out and flew down to Barney.
“What you need to do is have the Secretary Bird write a note for you, take it to the little store’s back door in person.
You are as cute to humans, as you are tasty to coyotes….OH! Shouldn’t have said that….erase erase….now go find Sally the Secretary bird and get on with it!”
“Ah…thank you Oscar…. except for the tasty part.”
“You are Welcome!!!” and Oscar disappeared back into his tree.
Well, adorable Barney, looking his adorablest, went to see the Wagners at their store, and believe or not, after the note was read, the lady disappeared inside for a few minutes, and she returned with a “basket” full of what she called “leftover” Hershey bars, and a couple of containers of Nesquick hot chocolate powder.
Barney bowed deeply, and the lady smiled down at him as he grabbed the basket’s handle and jumped off back to his animal friends to surprise them all.
Not many folks know about this event, but those that do, realize that it was the very first time that a Bunny got a basket of chocolate for Easter! And remember, you heard it here first! And Barney could hear it too, because after Easter, he happily still had both of his huge rabbit ears!
“Toy Boat” by sillygrandpa.com
Posted on April 12, 2025
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I built my first boat model
I bet it goes real fast
It’s a pretty sailboat
With one tall center mast
I followed the directions
With some help from Dad
When we both were finished
Boy we both were glad
It was fun to build it
And it’s so much fun to see
we both accomplished
Both my Dad and me
Well we took it to the lake today
For its maiden sail
The breeze was right the water calm
We named the boat “Prevail”
We put it in the water
Then “Prevail” began to lean
But we forgot to glue the keel
It became a submarine
“My Shadow” by russ mckay
Posted on April 6, 2025
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I know all about my shadow
He’s just my silhouette
He always travels with me
As close as he can get
He’s careful not to leave me
He lets me know he’s there
And when the sun is shining
He’s my image…feet to hair
But he doesn’t play in rainstorms
And he won’t play after dark
He’s never in my room at night
Or under shade trees in the park
He’s my buddy, he’s my pal
In fact, he is my best friend
He’s a guy that I can count on
That I’m sure will never end
But yesterday while playing
He gave me quite a fright
I was watching as he followed
I turned left and he turned right!
“Ogden Nash” by russ mckay
Posted on April 3, 2025
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I miss a writer named Ogden Nash
His rhymes were funny and often brash
Sometimes he would fracture verse
And he was almost never terse
And one thing more that’s really neat
He used to live just up the street
I wasn’t writing poems back then
Not yet taking up the pen
But I wish that he were here today
I’d show him my work to hear what he’d say
‘Though I might be a bit afraid
He’d say that my skills don’t make the grade
He might refuse to help my cause
Because my poetry has such flaws
People sometimes aren’t the way they seem
He might have turned out to be really mean
So it’s silly for me to have this dread
That I’ve been conjuring in my head
He really can’t hurt my feelings none
‘Cause he’s been dead since ’71!
“Writing Poetry Is Easy” by russ mckay
Posted on March 27, 2025
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I decided I’d write poetry
It’s an easy thing to do
You just have to make sure that
The last words rhyme…ah…too!
Heck you could write of anything
As long as you remember
That the last word in each key line
Rhymes with the one…ah..befember
Poetry has a meter
Kind of like the beat of a song
A cadence, pace or natural flow or..ah..rhythmter
Anyway, poetry is a beautiful thing
It lifts our spirits high
Anyone can be a poet
All you need do is attempt it
“Twins” by russ mckay
Posted on March 23, 2025
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Twice upon a time there were born
Two identical babies named Bjorn
They had the same kinda nose
And identical toes
They were only apart night ’til morn
One had a little more hair
Though they both had skin very fair
When they ate one would slurp
And the other would burp
And together they went everywhere
Well one day after they’d grown
One wanted to be left alone
But he soon grew lonely
For his brother only
So he called him on his cell phone
But the caller got into a snit
Bro’s busy phone gave him a fit
What neither twin knew
Is…they both tried to do
The same thing the same time
So both decided to quit
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