Poems by Brian A. Bendall

Many, many years ago
When I was just a kid,
And I had just began to grow,
There's stuff I had and did.

I'm thinking back on all those things
That life saw fit to give me.
If I can't remember everything,
I hope you will forgive me.

Chocolate candy cigarettes
And big bubble gum cigars.
Mini Bricks and Red Ball Jets,
Hopscotch and Dinky cars.

Mercurochrome and iodine;
Band-aids in a can.
Your watch required a daily wind,
And Etch-A-Sketch was grand.

In school, the teacher had to see
Just what you had to do.
You held one finger up for pee;
You held up two for poo!

Marbles, Slinkys, Lincoln Logs,
Ker Plunk and Pick Up Sticks,
With Yo-yos, you could "walk the dog,"
And ice cream came in bricks.

Arrows all had suction cups
And guns had rolls of caps.
Paddle Balls and Tonka Trucks
Big red lips were wax,

Bumps on heads, being black and blue,
Was minor when compared to
Being sick with cold or flu!
Have fun? You're not prepared to!

Measles, mumps, and chicken pox
Always seemed to flare.
They opened up Pandora's Box
And caught us unaware!

With medicine and care from mom,
Our time in bed was cut!
But I can't remember anyone
Allergic to a nut!

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
And also Brothers Grimm.
But Mark Twain was my pride and joy!
I never could resist him!

Hide and seek and tag were there.
New energy we found!
No more teacher scorns to bear
When summer came around.

PF Flyer running shoes,
Steel roller skates had keys.
There were phone booths we could use
If there's emergencies.

Rolling down a grassy hill
In parks was a delight.
Nicky Nine Doors was a thrill,
But only played at night!

We rode our bikes with playing cards
Flapping on our spokes.
We played in all our friends' backyards
And told our "Knock Knock" jokes.

Climbing fences, climbing trees
Were common things to do.
Getting bruised or skinning knees?
That was nothing new!

Two wheel scooters, kiddy cars,
We had Soap Box Rallies.
Baseball teams and monkey bars
And close by bowling alleys.

In winter, there were snowball fights
And snow forts for protection.
And when a bitter wind would bite,
Few kids raised objection!

Speeding down a snowy slope
On sleds and blown up tires.
"Is it too steep?" We all said, "Nope!"
We wanted to go higher!

In our teens were Levi jeans,
Duck and pony tails.
Sock hops were a common scene
Where dancing would prevail.

Bobby socks and poodle skirts
And continental slacks.
White buck shoes and fancy shirts,
Guitars and wailing sax!

Computers? What on Earth were they?!
Well, they would show up later.
And none I knew could dare display
Cell phones or calculators!

Many things I've mentioned here
Are still with us today.
But lots of kids, it does appear,
Ignore this great buffet!

What happened to the world I knew?
Have kids today stopped growing?
If time machines were really true,
I know where I'd be going!

Dick, Jane, Spot and Puff
Are nothing now but jokes.
But maybe I have said enough,
So I'll say, "That's all folks!"

I once set out to make a fiend,
A gruesome thing that no one's seen.
A massive gore of teeth and claws
With sixteen eyes and monster paws.

Before I started out to cook,
I checked out first my Potions Book.
With some touches of my own,
I knew I'd hear my monster moan.

I finally found the perfect pot,
Huge and black and rusted not,
To place it on a fire bright
And waited for the dark of night.

The darkness came, none too soon,
And in the shining of the moon,
I began my task with hopes to fix
The makings for my monster mix.

I filled the pot half-full with grease,
And so began my monster-piece.
I added pints of castor oil
And waited for my mix to boil.

I put in five potato eyes,
A chicken's tooth and watched it rise.
A lock of hair, a roach, a worm!
I stirred it so it would not burn!

Beetle guts, hornet's feet,
Finger nails, rancid meat,
A turtle's toes, a garter snake!
So far, this was a piece of cake!

Then I put in weasel liver,
A centipede, a caterpillar,
Seven hairs from top a fly,
A horse's tongue, a lizard's eye!

Oxen hooves and turkey neck,
A gremlin's ear (just a speck),
Maggot slime, a walrus knuckle.
It smelled so good, I had to chuckle!

I listened to it curl and tip.
I took a spoon and had a sip!
And as I heard it bump and crunch,
I settled back to have my lunch.

I put the lid on good and tight.
I let it simmer all that night.
And all that day I let it brew.
All next night and the next day, too.

Then, that night, the moment came
To see if I had worked in vain.
I pried the lid with tender care,
Wondering what I'd find in there.

I held my breath, peeked inside.
I saw it...and I burst with pride!
I threw the lid aside, at last,
And danced around the pot of gas!

And through the gas the creature rose,
With sixteen eyes, a big black nose,
Fangs, hair and ten inch claws,
Warts, lice and monster paws!

It groaned! It gasped! It grunted, too!
Just why it lived, I wish I knew!
"It must be luck! A chance! A fluke!"
I chose a name and called it, "Duke"!

"Here, Duke!" I called, with outstretched hand.
Did it really understand?
It did! It did! For Duke complied!
It looked so good, I almost cried!

With happy eyes I watched it slip,
Squirm, slide, slither and dip.
Slow, at first, then like a shot,
Duke turned around....and ate the pot!

It ate the table and the chair,
And my book a laying there!
Then it ate my frying pans,
My overcoat and garbage cans.

My couch, my lamps, my stove, my suit!
I have to say, it did look cute.
But was this the monster in my mind?
Did I create a Frankenstein?!

My telephone and TV set,
But Duke? It wasn't finished yet!
My shower, toilet, tub and sink!
My sanity was at the brink!

Then Duke stopped, to my surprise,
And looked at me with thankful eyes.
I never dreamed it'd be so wild!
Duke cocked its head....and then it smiled.

Today, it's eaten all I own!
I barely even have a home!
So, I'm worried by one thing, you see,
It's that one day ... Duke ... might ... eat...
..."AARRGGHH!"

Most living things are around
Wherever living things are found.
On land or sea, that swim beneath,
Most of them have got their teeth.

Humans need their teeth for treats,
'Cause, you and I, we love our sweets.
We chew our candy, gum, and chips,
Our chocolate bars and licorice whips.

But other beasts have different treats,
Like veggies or assorted meats.
They eat these foods to stay alive.
They know these help them to survive.

Herbivores and carnivores;
The two main groups this tale explores.
Each group is different, there's no doubt.
Put them together? ... Oops! ... Look out!!

Herbivores all love their greens.
Their teeth are made for just that means.
They chew their grass, their hay and oats;
The horses, cows, and Billy goats.

Hamsters, rabbits, sheep, and moles,
Veggie munchies are their goals.
Giraffes and hippos, llamas, too,
Salads are their favorite chew.

But looking at the other side,
Carnivores want meat supplied.
They like their steak but extra rare.
No spice, no sauce, no savoir faire.

Lions, wolves, and crocodiles,
Hyenas with their laughs and smiles,
Foxes, sharks, tyrannosaurs
All are known as carnivores.

They watch the ones that eat their plants,
Bide their time and wait their chance.
They're not cruel or hunt for fun;
They just pursue ... 'til dinner's done.

All these beasts might be amazed
At what us humans like to graze.
We will eat all kinds of things,
From brussels sprouts to chicken wings.

A juicy steak or salad plate,
Buffets to us are super great!
Pork chops, pears, or carrot sticks
Is how some people get their fix.

Are human beings carnivores
Or misdirected herbivores?
The other beasts don't really care,
As long as they're not in our fare!

Those beasts have menus on their mind
That nature's restaurant has designed.
(And mouse or pig or alligator
Never have to tip the waiter.)

For all the stuff we humans eat,
The vegetables, meats, and sweets,
There's one thing that is clear to me.
We love our food variety.

As time goes by we'll choose the foods
That fit each other's different moods.
For now, at least, you need to grow
With good foods that your mother knows.

So, eat the foods mom makes for you:
The roasts, the fish, the chicken stew.
With all the great meals that you see,
Eat your peas and broccoli!

I've tried to write so many times,
But it's been hard to say in rhymes.
I'll try once more and hope you'll see
Just what your love has meant to me.

Thank you for your pain at birth
That brought me to my life on Earth.
Thanks for all the time you spent
For cuddles and your nourishment.

Thank you for the stories read
As I lay cozy in my bed.
Thanks for your enlightenment
To solve new mysteries life had sent.

Thank you for the cures and care
When sickness caught me unaware.
Thanks for tucking me in tight
And kisses on my head, "Good night."

Thanks for comfort when I cried
And tissues used for tears you dried.
Thanks for courage to go on,
To see from night, a day will dawn.

Thanks for freedom that you gave
To go outside, the world to brave.
Thank you for the friends I'd meet
That helped with friendships I'd repeat.

Thank you for your help with school
And teaching me the Golden Rule.
Thanks for praise when I prevailed
And understanding when I failed.

Thanks for parties that you gave
And birthday cards I tried to save.
Thanks for meals I loved so much
And baking skills that few could touch!

Thank you for your help to write
My stories you helped bring to light.
Thanks for helping talents surface
That made me see my life had purpose.

Thanks for tears when I left home,
So I could make it on my own.
Thanks for tears when I returned
For visits that you long had yearned.

But now...

Your life I loved has run its course,
For time will take us all by force.
Your love for me, not kept inside,
And no conditions were applied.

So, thanks for all things, small and large,
Your love saw fit to do ... no charge.