Hot Rod Poetry

[23crate]

sigh, ive sat here musing the last few days
of youthful appearance no more grays
so it could be said im feeling a bit old
probably more surprised id say - be bold
that nearly 60 years gone down the track
some of you i know, that was a time back
as they you all know time speeds with age
reckon weve all heard that Grandmas sage.
a thing i could add to slow the time down
heard from them or read from wise ones downtown
try new things all the time, bucket list stuff
make sure you do get through that fluff
because when your small years are long,
because everything is a new untried song
we age and stuff becomes the norm
nothing bothers us like that old thunder storm ..
i have to say once i was told it was real
is " youre only old as the person you feel
missus crate is 4 years younger hooray
so its 56 now i must say id like that to stay.
but surprised i am at quick its arrived
things to do that ive never tried ...
so id better get a wriggle on or maybe a stagger
before i look like Richards or Jagger

 

[smallfoot]

Very good crate1

 

[bob w]

So glad you are writing. Good message in your new one.

 

[gene49]

I remember a time, not long ago really
Just out of high school, I was something to see.
Strong, lean, and tough, was the description of me.
I had visions and understanding on how life should be
Willing to work and fight to make it all be
Nothing on earth was going to detour me
I had things to do, places to be
I had my priorities, it was all about me
Found a cute little gal that wanted to follow me
With her by my side the me became we
The two together were still on target to be we.
With kids and cars and houses we
still followed my vision of what life should be.

Then one day, the entire story just changed!
That morning came and I couldn't move.
Hospitals, Doctors, and tests became the work of the day.
Lost my job and my career, everything I knew how to do
was something I could no longer do,
with a wife, 2 kids and a mortgage, what will I do?
Starting over at 34 was not in my original plan.
A few long years of discovery is what we went through.
My condition could be treated with medication
but how much and how often was the question,
and then how much physical work could I do?
Some days were bad, some days were good
we finally found a combination that worked

By then I knew how much physical work I could do
past experience applied, my own welding shop was what it would take.
At 38 I saw myself at 18 and thought real hard at the changes I needed to make.
One big thing was the family I'd ignored, I wouldn't be making that same mistake.
How I treated others was another change I had to make.
My view of life in general needed a whole remake.

I get the rare chance to look back again,
I turned 68 a few months ago.
I'm retired now, that welding shop thing worked out OK.
I heard an old song by Bob Seeker "Like a Rock"
That song could have been written for my first 20 years.
In the song are the words "20 years, man I don't know, 20 years, man where'd they go?"
For my, it was the last 30 years, and then the 20 before that.
50 years, man, where have they gone?
I can't answer where they went, but I can look back and see how I have done.
The first 16 of the first 20 were hard driven with little concern about anything but myself and my goals.
The last 4 years of that first 20 was a recalculation and a reset, beyond my control.
The last 30 was when I was working on those resets.
I don't believe I'm where I'm suppose to be yet, but I'm a whole lot closer then I was.

The 1st 1/2 may be considered a poem, the last 1/2 is my life.

 

[smallfoot]

A touching story Gene on what your life has been,
When the reaper comes knocking just don't let him in.

 

[MercuryMac]

Heck of a story Gene. Not a lot of people can look at their life and say "I've got to change me". That's powerful stuff.

 

[23crate]

yip .. what Mac said

 

[MercuryMac]

Cool Car Gone.​

When I was young I had a very cool muscle car,

A Dodge Super Bee, more than I needed by far.

The bank owned some and wanted paid for it.

So I was running a loader down at the gravel pit.

I worked nights and couldn’t sleep well in the day

So I stood out in the camp yard taking in the fray.

Chomping gravel crusher, and some rushing trucks

Then one young fella’ looking like life really sucks.

He held a short driveshaft and U-joint in his hand

Under his cowboy hat his beaten face was so bland

He had a breakdown, a major problem to be solved

Now he had no ‘wheels’; it was time, I got involved.

I lent him my Super Bee and said, if you hurry to town

You’ll get it fixed quick and have less time you’re down.

Away he went and I felt good helping the young fella out.

I naively allotted him two hours because I knew his route.

Patience left when suppertime came and suppertime went

The guy who was a half stranger, had the car that I’d lent.



Hey, I think there was a name painted on his toolbox lid.

I ran to his truck, but, nonsense letters there, name still hid.

I went to work, not knowing, worrying all through the night.

What would I find in the morning, frustration or delight.

In the morning I rushed into camp to have a look around.

My cool car was there, his truck gone, just bare ground.

Afternoon, I flagged down Cliff, the guy with no last name.

Rode a couple of trips with him, and out the story came.

He got his parts into the shop and left to see the scenes

Cruising ‘round, he picked up a girl selling magazines.

She was terribly good looking, blond and scantily clad

He wasn’t into reading, so soon he let her out, how sad.

He got back to the shop in time to get his fixed up parts,

The end, NO, NO, this is where the rest of the story starts.

Anyhow, Cliff said, “Did you know, you had a leaky rad”,

I said “yes, I always topped it up, and it wasn’t that bad”.

He said, my brother in Beaverlodge can fix anything at all,

Especially rads, so I roared over there, and gave him a call.

The brothers took my rad and soldered shut that leaky hole,

It was a long drive back to his truck, but it’s good for his sole.

Back under his truck, he replaced the parts they had made,

He was proud of his fix and that fine kindness he’d repaid.

Cliff heaped a heartfelt thank you on me for making his day,

And for fixing my car, I was thankful, more than I could say.

This incident cemented the friendship of us two young guys,

We even exchanged names, and more truth and some lies.



Remember when Cliff was joy riding, awaiting his parts,

And I was fifty miles away, worrying, another story starts.

At that time another young guy was cruisin’ ‘round town

Saw my car and told his sister what he saw going down.

He said, there was a guy pickin’ up chicks in my Super Bee.

His sister was very upset ‘cause her new beau was me.

“He was wearing a big black hat just like your new guy,”

Said the pesky little brother, smirking,“ I cannot tell a lie.”



So finally I roared home to take my girl, out to the show,

But instead, learned a half baked story that I didn’t know.

I was accused of happily picking up chicks, in her loud vent.

I learned what cold shoulder and hot tongue, really meant.

Quite a bit of smoothing out had to be done, by me, now.

Calmness and conciliation were key to ending this row.

In a gentlemanly manner, I told the story from my side,

And hoped she would forget ‘n’ forgive me, before I died.



Time marches on and life’s lessons pile up high

So now more than fifty years have all gone by,

It was really good that I had cool wheels to lend

Cause I’ve still got the car, the girl, and the friend.

 

[smallfoot]

Excellent Mac!