"Manly" Poetry: For the Love of the Out of Doors

 

My Oasis-My Yard!

 

The house I live in now…is kind of neat…

We kind of live on a nice quiet street.

We have a few good neighbors around…

We kind of live fairly close to a bad part of town.

Sometimes I drive by…and I’m at a lack for words to describe,

How it was that we ended up here in our life.

 

Then, I pull into my drive that never seizes and amazes,

My backyard…and my front…have become my Oasis.

Hibiscus, and Palm, Oleander, Orange, Pine, and Oak,

Sage, Banana, Azaleas, Cannas, and enough Ferns…for them all to choke,

The Rubber Trees form a huge wall,

Chaufilera grow wide and tall.

The Bougainvillea will take over,

Along in Springtime…with the clover.

 

I sit outside on my porch in the shade,

And gaze out at this simple garden I have made.

It gives me peace and tranquility,

To stare out at your wonder with my morning coffee.

Makes my brain go flat line with only Alpha Waves turned on,

And a mix of neighborhood rhythmic noises…make up a beautiful song.

Oh World, that has chomped and spit me out,

Being one with God’s creation is what life is all about!

 

I sit or work outside in God’s creation,

Under my own terms, and my own proclamation.

My time is my own…you can not govern it,

My privacy from the world around…I treasure this…every bit.

My Oasis in my own yard,

The concept is not too hard.

Leave me too it…until my dying day…

My thoughts and dreams will never leave my Oasis, anyway!

For the Love of Pine Trees

A group of pine trees takes me back in time.

The scent passes by and triggers something in my mind.

Hiking through the forest; The Thicket beckons me,

The “Katy-Did”, The Mockingbird, and the Raven, all sing freely.

Beautiful “kelley-green” that stays that way the whole year through,

Sparked by Oak leaves turning orange and yellow; ‘Cause in Fall that’s what they do.

Springtime marks the blooms of many wild flowers beneath your drapery,

When White Dogwood tall blooms liven up your thick green canopy.

Then comes Summer walking down an East Texas trail …in the sweltering sun,

The shade beneath you provides cool fresh air…until the hike is done.

The Country Air I breathe now...gives off a “piney” scent,

You know it brings me back to times…when under the pine trees…that I've spent.

Of riches in life…I can’t say I got ‘em,

But you couldn’t tell me that on an East Texas hill…come Autumn!

When I see in vast array…your green, orange, yellow, red, and blue sky…on display,

Thank God for the small group of pine trees…I passed by today!

To Camp Outdoors

AAAHH…to camp in the great outdoors,

With pine needles stacked up under your tent’s floor,

With everything you ever needed in your pack stored,

With so much scenery around…you’re never bored.

To wake up to hardly any sound,

Because for once, there is no one around,

Makes me feel great that I got out of town,

Even if I did have to sleep on the ground.

Water splashes its’ way to the nearby shoreline,

A big outdoor breakfast…will be just fine,

I leave my watch in the tent…who cares about time,

As my mind clears…surrounded by nature of all kind.

Continue in peace throughout the day,

Entertained for hours, watching clouds drift away,

May call in sick for work for a longer stay,

To stay here for a month or two would be OK.

So glad I decided to come to this place,

A day out in the country puts a smile on my face,

I could hike further in and disappear without a trace,

But…for now…I think I will enjoy this campsite space.

I finish my last cup of camp coffee by the misty riverside,

The calming water slightly moves by in its’ tract, a ¼ mile wide,

A “good-size” fish splashes…then goes below the surface to hide,

This beats all the other ways to relax that I have ever tried.

The pine tree branches sway easily in a small gust of wind,

I hear more geese flying further South...way up above...once again,

Quiet…out here…I feel like I am “Nature’s Friend”,

I throw an old log on the campfire I tend…..

And pray to the Creator of all this…that this day will never end!