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OLD DOG IN A LOCKET

Old dog in a locket That lies next to my heart
I will always love you As I did right from the start

You were right beside me Through the darkest of my days
It was your kind and gentle nature That made me want to stay

Now I hold you in my arms Your breath still warm against my hand
Our hearts still beat together And I wonder if you understand

Through the hours that I held you Before the light did leave your soul
I knew a way to keep you Forever in my hold

I snipped the hair from around your eyes So I would always see
The beauty that surrounds me Even in times of need

I snipped the hair from around your ears So I would always hear
Music in the distance To quiet any fears

I snipped the hair from across your back
To bring me strength in time of need
And the power of your essence Would always be with me

I snipped the hair from around your heart That beat in time with mine
So I would know that love would find me At some distant time

And so, your life slipped out of mine On a quiet spring like day
But I knew that a part of you Old dog in a locket
That lays next to my heart I will always love you
Even though we had to part

-— Author unknown -—

The Clothesline Said So Much

A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets
and towels on the line;
You'd see the comp’ny table clothes
With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth
To folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.

It said, “Gone on vacation now”
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, “We're back!” when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors raised their brows, and looked
Disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody’s guess

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!