“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
“Burp” the Swine. by russ mckay
Posted on March 15, 2025
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Hi! I’m Burp and yes I’m a swine
And the pleasure of meeting you is just divine
And just because I’m a swine and big
Doesn’t mean that you need to call me a “PIG”
I’ve heard people say “Those PIGS just stink”
But under all that mud we’re mostly pink
Our table manners are slight cause we don’t use a fork
And, around us, please never say the word “PORK”
We squeel and we grunt and we root around
And our farmer’s happy as we gain every pound
I agree that we’re overweight and possibly fat
It seems we’re always eating so I’ll admit that
I see you like snacking when you’re reading a rhyme
And I bet you do it nearly all of the time
But to think we’ll eat anything is a big mistake
By the way are you planning to eat all that cake?
“Sirens” by russ mckay
Posted on March 3, 2025
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Sirens fascinate me
When I hear them getting louder
If I could drive an ambulance
I could not be any prouder
“Woop, woop, woop”
And “Dee Daw, Dee Daw”
I would make the siren blast
I’d rush through downtown traffic
I’d drive carefully, but fast
Yes I would love to drive an ambulance
A job where time’s well spent
I’d like to be the driver
But not the occupant!
“The Little Cloud” by russ mckay
Posted on February 20, 2025
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Though I am just a little cloud
I’m fluffy and billowy and very proud
If I keep growing then I guess
I’ll become a big old cumulus
And float with my friends so you can peer us
And tell us apart from those wispy cirrus
We cumulus clouds have the most status
We’re not stringy and gray like those skimpy stratus
You can tell I like being what I am
And I like changing shapes which I can
Down on the ground as you gaze on high
You’ll be guessing what I look like as I fly by
But if I get noisy and turn grey/blue
I’ll be getting ready to rain on you
But don’t take shelter under a tree
‘Cause lightning bolts might come from me
I’d much rather float in the sun up high
Looking like cotton shapes in the sky
So when you see me wave and say Hey
And I’ll save my rain for another day
“The Cat Up A Tree” by silly grandpa
Posted on February 11, 2025
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I spied a cat up in a tree
It was looking down at me
But when I smiled it turned away
And I didn’t know quite what to say
How’d you get there? I wanted to ask
It must have been quite a task!
I stood looking up from the ground
Wondering how the cat would get down
I didn’t know then, but it wondered too
And also did not know what to do
After both of us stared for quite a while
The cat finally began to smile
“Are you the Cheshire cat?” Was my query
But the feline was becoming weary
“I’ll climb up and help you down!”
But then the cat began to frown.
I took no mind and started up
And just as I got to the top
The feline jumped upon my back
Then ran down to the ground
…and that’s a fact
I rested on the skinny top limb
By the way, the treed cat was a him
Now I was the one who began to frown
Because I had no way to get myself down
I was feeling really really dumb
When the local firemen had to come
And help me get down from that tree
Then the cat began to laugh at me
But that was not the story’s end
The once-treed cat became my friend
We joked about the tree and me
Stuck on the top of that tall tree
It’s a wonderful thing when a friend is found
But from now on we’ll stay on the ground
