Thursday, February 22, 2018

On Harding Road

By Lisa Marie Harmon



In a tiny house, on Harding Road
as breezes through the oak leaves flowed

in a quiet midwest lakeside town,
kindly neighbors all around,

a mother in a kitchen stood,
a sister asking if she could

watch one more show or maybe two
Dora, Barney, Scooby Do?

Warm beams of light on golden floor
where ninja turtles fight a war

A sleeping dog lies near the chair
A loyal guard, her name is Bear

Dad’s out hosing down the walk
washing away the sisters’ chalk

A little boy hears such a noise
he quickly drops his favorite toys

and runs to flatten down his nose
and stand on tippy tippy toes

He’s looking out the window pane
the view outside hard to attain

because he is so very small,
just four years old, and not so tall

And then he sees, to his delight
just two doors down, a wondrous sight

The biggest truck on God’s green Earth
spinning round for all it’s worth

And men in working boots with spades
setting up the barricades

On Harding Road in the summer sun
some manly work is getting done

Now running fast down front porch stair
the boy has grabbed his favorite chair

He can’t believe his lucky day
A concrete truck just steps away!

He places close his little seat,
Sits right down and plants his feet

And happily he spends the hours
watching men with manly powers

pushing buttons, pulling levers
letting flow the concrete rivers

Filling frames and floating flat
the liquid rock from the rolling vat

And as he watched, the little boy
thought "One day I won’t play with toys."

At least not Ninja turtle kind
Imaginations filled his mind

And he was big and all grown up
And driving his own concrete truck

Too soon the sun began to set
Don’t touch the sidewalk, it’s still wet

The work is done, the truck is gone,
and Josh, the boy, is walking home

His tiny chair, he puts away
He calls for Bear to come and play

Soon dinner time and then goodnight
His mother tucks him in just right

In a tiny house, on Harding Street
a special day is now complete



Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine


By Lisa Marie Harmon

This is a Happy Valentine
to all the children that are mine

To say you’re children is a lie
but mine you are, I won’t deny

The first, beloved daughter, Jes
A love unknown, I now posses

Then Josh, the one and only boy
My sympathies he can employ

Dear Kate, so sweet and very kind
does play a favorite in my mind

Then came a final, precious jewel
In all our hearts, ClaireAnna rules

A mother blessed beyond deserve
My joy expressed, I won’t reserve

I love you all more than my breath
I’ll love you true till my own death