Poetry Friday--Summer Poem Swap

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
I've been taking part in the Summer Poem Swap organized by Tabatha Yeatts. She explains the swap and shares several participants' poems here and here.

Tabatha sends out a prompt for those who like a little jumpstart. The photo of Annie Oakley was the prompt for our 4th swap poem.

My swap partner, Linda Baie, did not use the prompt for her poem. She used the 1940s diary of her husband's mother, who had written on the inside cover, "Be a Lamplighter. We shall shine as the stars of the morning."

We Shall Shine As The Stars of The Morning

I saw these words about living a poem. Maybe I am doing that with Roy? The words paint some of the days.             Lora


         In January, sleet and snow, I ironed, cleaned and mended while Roy helped Grandpa render lard.
         By February Groundhog Day arrived, and the aunties came for dinner, but Grandpa was sick, so Roy stayed with him.
         In March, some days are warm, and I helped Mabel make a cake. Roy worked at church doing repair. Our evening time filled up with friends in Altoona.
         April brought a big frost--very pretty. I stayed in and washed, went to a musical in the evening. Roy mended fence.
         May was time to put the chicks out with a hen, and I had a nice visit with Effie one afternoon while Roy drove to town on business.
         On a June Day I picked berries and made preserves. It was a nice day. Roy got the Ford for $45.00.
         On one day in July, it was rainy. I ironed in the afternoon, and dressed a chicken for dinner. Roy helped pick gooseberries.
         August brought the celebration of Grandpa's 91st birthday; Flo visited. Roy cleaned the yard.
         In September, I fixed pickles in the morning, sewed in the afternoon. Roy went to a sale.
         One October day, I ironed and churned, made biscuits. Roy hauled manure and fixed the garden for winter.
         November held a very warm day and I peeled apples to dry. Roy went to buy a cow.
         In December, before Christmas , I mended and made sausage. We had a white Christmas. Roy washed the car for the new year.
                                    It was a good year.

© Linda Baie, all rights reserved.

Isn't it marvelous! I can hear the old Shaker hymn playing in my head, "Tis a gift to be simple..." Many thanks to Linda for swapping it and for allowing me to share it with you. (Our last swap is happening next week, and my swap partner is Tabatha. I hate to say it, but I haven't yet to start work on my poem. I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend!)

Violet Nesdoly / Poems is the place to be on this fine summer day. While you're there, check out her post for last Friday and see how Violet responded to the photo of Annie Oakley with "Medalled."

Annie Oakley photo courtesy New York Public Library Digital Gallery.