Poetry By: dr_tigger

 "Skip'n School"

I used to skip school when I was a kid
Just me and a few friends of mine...
We'd usually end up down by the creek
and we always had a real good time!

We'd take along some beer and a smoke or two
after a while we'd forget about the time...
"Cause we had a lot of fun go'n skinny dipp'n
and take'n turns swing'n from an old grape vine..

I really don't know how we ever got by
without ever once gett'n caught...
Guess we were just plain lucky
But I never really gave it much thought.

But those days are lost and gone forever
Though they run through my mind now and then...
Sometimes I wonder what ever became...
Of my school skip'n skinny dipp'n friends!

"Poor Boy" ©2004 dr_tigger

"Talking To Myself" 

Gas is too high the old man said
and everything else is too.
I remember when a gallon was a quarter
and then he bit off a chew.
 
A plug of Blood Hound was fifteen cents
and a soda pop cost a nickle
Now it's all so high we just can't buy it
what the hell's wrong with you people?
The old man said It comes down to greed
that's why it's all outa sight!
Welfare checks have made folks lazy
then he light up his corn cob pipe.
 
He took a puff, then he spit and grin'd
said I used to be a farmer don't ya know.
Trapped coons on the creek in the winter time
and tracked rabbits in the new fallen snow.
I remember when we kept our flour
in a keg by the kitchen door.
We raised hogs for bacon and lard
'cause there were'nt no supermarket stores.
 
Now it all comes from a store where they claim
the prices are always low...
but I remember when times were hard
'Cause I'm ninety-seven years old!
Ain't never seen noth'n like it he said
in all my ninety-seven years...
And then he turned his head away
as his eyes filled up with tears.
 
I chopped cotton in the summertime
even though my feet was bare...
He said, I was near 'bout thirty-two
before I ever had shoes to wear!
Look'n back on the way life changed
I miss them good ole days...
Life was much more simple then
when everyone made their own way.
 
Welfare has made folks lazy
or so the old folks say...
I think some are just plain greedy
'cause prices go up ever day!
Then he looked up to say to me
as a tear rolled down his cheek...
I gave two dollars for a gallon of gas
at the Help Ur self just last week!
 
I went to war to keep us free
the old man said to me...
Now were all just prisoners it seems
of today's new economy.
We had an ole dog that liked to tree squirrels
And the cats kept down the mice...
We took our baths in a number three tub
In the living room floor ever night.
 
We brought in water from an ole pitcher pump
'neath a cottonwood tree out back...
Mama said son you'd better use soap
'cause the soles of your feet turned black!
The ole man rambled on and on
as he seemed to speak his mind...
It made me wonder how it would have been
to live back in his time.
 
I listened to the things he said
In great surprise to see...
That all at once I realized
The sad ole man ....was me!
"Poor Boy"©2004 dr_tigger
 
 
 
"My Ole Dawg Clyde"

I couldn't have been more than six years old
or maybe even five...
When I got the urge to go on a hunt'n trip
just me and my ole dawg clyde.

Now ole Clyde could tree most anything
if you give 'em 'bout half a chance.
We'd head out for our favorite hunt'n spot
and that's where most of our time was spent.

We'd hunt squriels, rabbits and things like that
sometimes we'd even hunt Bear!
Grandma would step out back now and then
just to make sure we were still out there.

She'd call out, "Are ya'll ok?"
And I'd answer back, "Yes Mam!"
Then she'd turn and go back in the house
and I'd hear the ole screen door slam!

One day ole Clyde pick up a sent of some kind
and took off down a cotton row...
I just stood there and listened to e'm bark
'Cause he was really put'n on a show!

I first thought he was track'n a Rabbit
'cause he would double back ever now and then
Sometimes he would run clean out of sight
and I'd whistle 'em back to me again.

At night he would sleep up under the porch
where he'd wollered out a hole in the dirt
If it got real cold I'd fix 'em a box to sleep in
with two or three of my old shirts.

He would bark and growl if someone came up
but I never did know 'em to bite.
But let a strange dawg come up with me in the yard
and ole Clyde would be ready for a fight!

He got his leg broke and lost one eye
from a car chas'n accident
And from that day on he just layed around the house
and we never went hunt'n again!



Gary Reynolds (AKA) dr_tigger
"Poor Boy" ©2005 dr_tigger