Poems by Kathy J. Parenteau

Hopes dashed, dreams fade,
Gotta go to work another day.
Paid my money, bought my ticket
Thought I could tell my boss to stick it.
But here I sit on Sunday night,
Knowing by the morning light.
I'll be back at my desk slaving away,
Hoping to make it through one more day.
And uncle Sam you must be smiling,
Knowing in January I'll be filing.
You've stuck it to me one more year,
More taxes await as I live in fear.
Thanks so much dear President Obama,
For creating all this political drama.
Thought by now I'd be seeing the change,
You promised our country on election day.
But who am I, just the middle class,
To our federal government "Kiss My Ass!"

Yucky Chucky Tucker was smelly as can be,
he never took a bath and hardly ever brushed his teeth.
Everywhere he went he left an odor in the air,
and Yucky Chucky Tucker never combed his hair.
His hands were always dirty cause he played with stinky worms,
he never cared if he got sick, he wasn't afraid of germs.
He didn't have a lot of friends except for one or two,
till Yucky Chucky Tucker met little Linda Sue.
Linda was quite pretty, an awesome sight to admire
and Yucky Chucky Tucker would give anything to sit by her.
But he'd have to make some changes and what I mean by that,
Yucky Chucky Tucker would have to take a bath.
He'd have to wash his hands and scrub his dirty face,
and to clean his stained up yellow teeth would take a tube of paste.
He'd have to wash his hair at least a dozen times,
to remove the terrible build up of sticky greasy grime.
Then Yucky Chucky Tucker would have to change his clothes,
sprinkle on cologne and find a bright red rose.
And maybe if he's lucky little Linda Sue,
might take another look at him and think he's really cute.
Funny how a pretty girl can change the way you think,
cause even Yucky Chucky Tucker washed away his stink,
All to catch the eye of little Linda Sue,
besides, her daddy owned a toy store, now what's a boy to do?

I woke with a particular feeling
I was floating on top of the ceiling,
A little surprised
when I opened my eyes
at the sight my room was revealing.

I saw something I'd never seen.
I knew this must be a dream.
There, on my bed,
was my dog Fred,
watching the TV screen.

He was munching on chips and a coke.
I thought this must be a joke.
As he took a big slurp,
he let out a burp,
and I felt a big lump in my throat.

He was wearing my slippers and pjs,
closed all the windows and shut all the shades.
It was clear to see
he thought he was me
as I stared at him, shocked and amazed.

My mom brought him breakfast in bed,
then kissed him on top of his head,
fried eggs and ham
with strawberry jam.
That should have been me instead!

Then I woke up trembling with fear
while Fred was licking my ear.
I threw off the sheets
and looked at my feet
then thought to myself oh dear!

Fred scratched at the door to go pee,
then turned and grinned at me.
When I looked at his paws,
the sight that I saw
was more than I bargained to see.

There, before my eyes,
wearing my slippers with pride,
Fred's tail was wagging,
just like he was bragging,
and off he went outside!

A robin and a crow were perched upon a fence,
an unlikely combination, but they seemed to be good friends.
Standing in the mid-day sun each on a separate picket,
basking in its rays while staring at a cricket.
The crow looked very hungry, the robin seemed content,
so he flapped his shiny wings and to the ground he went.
The cricket saw him coming and jumped away in a flash,
searching for some camouflage in an open field of grass.
The crow was disappointed to get outsmarted once again,
so he flew back to his perch and asked his feathered friend,
"Have you had your dinner, tell me would you mind?
I wondered if you'd share with me, could you be so kind?"
The robin fanned his wings and said, "Come, follow me."
To his nest they flew at the top of an old oak tree.
Together they shared a feast the robin caught that day,
then they fell asleep passing the time away.
There's a lesson to be learned from the robin and the crow,
and carry this knowledge with you wherever you may go.
Friendship is a special thing; it's always nice to share.
It shows the good inside of you so people know you care.

The dogs are barking at the door,
but we can't let them in 'cause they
pooped on the floor.
It wasn't your average pile of poo.
It was runny and wet and looked like beef stew.
I tried to clean it with a paper towel
but started to gag 'cause the smell was so fowl!
I thought to myself just how can this be,
cleaning up poopy is way worse than pee!
So I made a vow no more pets
'cause this is a mess I won't soon forget!

He marches in God's army now but once
upon a time,
With valor he fought long and proud
our freedom on his mind.
Leaving loved ones far behind he treaded
foreign land,
Defending peace and liberty
an honorable young man.
The world may never know him
or the sacrifice he made,
So I ask you take a moment
and remember a soldier today.


In memory of Nicholas A. Taylor
10/24/1991       07/16/2012

The sun was brilliantly shining.
It was a picture of a day,
when I stared outside my window
and watched my son at play.
Funny how quickly time passes.
Suddenly with a blink of an eye,
my little boy is all grown up.
There's no more need for lullabies.
I remember when he was an infant
how I wished that he'd turn one,
for my sleepless nights were endless
and my chores were never done.
At two, I wished that he'd turn three
so I could put the diapers away.
I never dreamed that by wishing
he'd be all grown up today.
This is the year he goes to school.
How I wish he were a baby once more.
Maybe I'd learn to let little things go
like dust on the furniture or dirt on the floor.
Oh, how I'd treasure each moment
if given a second chance,
but life just isn't that simple,
and this is a wish that no one can grant.
Why is it we never learn before the
clock ticks away the time
to celebrate each new day
in our hearts and in our minds,
instead of looking back and asking ourselves why,
our children are all grown up
suddenly with the blink of an eye.

What are miracles, from where do they
come?
How do we trust what we can't see
or touch?
To let go of fear when all's said and
done,
and believe God loves us so much.

It's a question we've all had from
time to time.
We can't touch the wind but
it's there.
When things go unplanned and out faith's
hard to find,
angels fill the air.

I thought of a snowflake, no two the
same,
mountains that kiss the sun,
galaxies far reaching infinite
domains,
all of the work God has done.

No mortal being could create
such wonders.
Only he and he alone.
Even the stars and roaring
thunder
that are part of our earthly home.

He made them all, including our souls
he knows our every prayer,
so don't question miracles,
just trust and believe God is everywhere!

If I could create a picture book of
memories from the past,
every chapter a masterpiece
of unforgettable moments rehashed.

What a pleasure it would be
to turn a page each day,
reliving all the happy times
that quickly passed away.

Smiles I miss from loved ones
where heaven is their home,
babies all grown up now
with children of their own.

Summer rains and winter days,
autumn leaves that fell,
snowcapped pines at Christmas time
I remember so very well.

Oh, what a pleasure it would be
to flip the pages through,
for now, I see them in my mind,
so remembering will have to do.