Poetry Winners 3-1
I started in November
I started in November, with my first load of manure,
When my wife saw the truck full, she showed me the door.
In December I went to an auction, I just had to have that seed,
By the time I was done bidding, the group had their hands on my deed.
In January the trades were hot, how was I going to get hold of the 670
Daigle?
Maybe if I had a 1068 Wallace, I could figure out a way to finagle.
In February the talk was loud, but it wasn't about pumpkins,
You would think that all of the growers had grown 1000 pound squmpkins!
In March the weather gave us a break,
So I broke out my tiller, hoe and my rake.
In April I gave my best at germination,
It was time for me to show I had the determination.
In May came the sun, I had the hoop houses setup,
Then my good old dog Luke, decided to tear them all up.
In June the growth started, you could see the vines on the move,
There was hope in the air, I very much did approve.
In July the bees were everywhere to be seen, I had to do something to
ensure a good cross,
So I tied up the flowers, and made my notes, I wasn't going to get beat
by my memory loss.
In August the growth had hit an all time high,
But the pests where out, I saw a Mediterranean fruit fly.
In September I heard rumors, of a big one down south,
Lord don't tell me Martin was backing up his mouth!
In October at the weigh off, I brought the biggest squash that I had,
It was true green from blossom to stem, and it was bigger then a rocket
launch pad.
I started in November, with my first load of manure ...........
OWEN OLSEN
The Unproven Personal Best
Inside I planted my pumpkin seeds, in early May,
While outside I added truckloads of compost and hay.
While my seed was unproven, I knew it'd grow,
Hoping early October it'd make Best of Show.
I bucked some proven methods, and did things my own way,
Hoping my experiments would be famous some day.
Once transplanted, it was vigorous, Boy, did it grow,
A vine climbed my garage,,,hey, I didn't know...
That an unproven seed can turn a few heads,
Especially in well watered, well fed beds.
It was my only plant-- I put all my eggs in one basket,
I hate doing that--I almost blew a gasket...
When the first 2 aborted, I hoped there'd be more,
with all I spent on Warrior & Daconil, I soon would be poor.
C'mon already! Please! Make one "take!"
I didn't want to be known as an AG grower fake.
Hey, look! Oh yes! There's one on the vine!
If it doesn't abort, I can finally call one mine.
But wait! There's another! Oh no... what should I do?
If I can keep it alive, then I'd have two.
The vine's on the driveway, out past the car,
will the one on the secondary always be subpar?
It looks better than the one out on the main
If it can outgrow it, I'll prob'ly pop a vein.
What a dilemma...which one should I keep?
The one nice & round or the one wide & deep?
The money I spent, on fert & irrigation
Probably ould have fed a third world nation!
Grow babies grow! grow bigger than each other,
I hope you both will be much bigger than your mother.
No... it can't be, is that another?
Hey you two guys, looks like you got a brother!
But wait...won't that affect the size of the others?
Sorry... too bad... say goodbye to your brothers!
Now, it's October. And, isn't there a weighoff?
How do I turn my biggest one into a payoff?
What? It was LAST WEEK!? There's no way that I missed it
Especially since I went out there last night & prayed & kissed it.
I cut the chainlink fence, to get it outa the yard,
My neighbor was looking at me, scratching his head hard.
He said, "What's that huge, orange blob in my driveway?"
Sorry, I cut the fence to get it out. I had to do it my way.
He said, "You did all that just for a huge pumpkin?"
Like I said, I did it my way, it's better than nothin!
Hey, I don't see YOUR pumpkin, rude like all the rest,
At least this year, this one here's my new Personal Best!
Anyway, it's now November, it's all just history,
Growing big pumpkins, can sometimes be a mystery.
Next year I want orange, a Calai from Mr. Meisner
With all I've learned this year, I'll grow it much, much wiser!
To all those who have helped me, you know who you are,
May you all grow big ones--orange--near and far.
MARK KORNEY
Grampa's Stuff
I used to visit Grampa's house, I was just a little kid
He was busy all the time. I watched the things he did
He grew these giant pumpkins, in a patch behind the barn
A fence kept kids and critters out, so they would do no harm
He'd pour some stuff on all the plants, and they would really grow
I just called it Grampa's stuff, what it was I didn't know
They growed so fast and crawled around, as far as I coud see
I got real scared once 'cause I thought, that they was after me
Folks would come from miles around to find out how he growed 'em
He never told 'em very much, even if he knowed 'em
They even asked me questions, 'cause they was so confused
I just told 'em "Grampa's stuff" was all he ever used
Now I've seen lots of pumpkins, but I've never seen one since
That was half as big as Grampa's, his growed higher than the fence
But then one day he wasn't there, they said he's gone away
My Mother cried and so did I, when Grampa passed away
The barn is locked, the patch is still, the weeds grow where he used to till
But sometimes on a foggy morn, do I see someone out behind the barn?
Pouring something on the ground, do I see something big and round?
Now I've grown up a little bit, no more a little kid
And I've been growin' pumpkins too, but they're not very big
I asked my Mother, tell me, now that I am not a kid
The secret things in Grampa's stuff, that made his grow so big
She just smiled a Mother's smile, and took me by the hand
She said come sit beside me, now you can understand
Your Grampa said a pumpkin, is just like life itself
It will grow and do it's best, if you give it lots of help
And 'though you couldn't see it, it was really always there
The secret in your Grampa's stuff, was lots of love and care
So if your pumpkins just won't grow, and life's roads a little rough
Now you know the secret, just try some of Grampa's stuff.
PETE DUDLEY
--
----------
>From: "ed lenning" <edl@wcnet.org>
>To: <pumpkins@hort.net>
>Subject: Re: Poetry Winner
>Date: Sun, Dec 11, 2005, 10:35 AM
>
> Where are the poems listed at? I'd like to read them.
> Ed
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