ME AND BLUE

For twelve long years we hunted hard

It was me and Blue together,

We hunted all the rough terrain

In every kind of weather.

We both were young and strong back then

And I learned to love old Blue,

He treed the younger coon with ease

And he treed the hard ones too.

But time is cruel and takes its toll

Now old Blue is getting slow,

But his old eyes are just as bright

And he still wants to go.

I watch him struggle through the woods

We both still do our best,

I see him stop and check on me

When I sit down to rest.

It makes no difference to me now

If a coon don't climb a tree,

Just as long as I can keep Old Blue

And let him hunt with me.

John L. Gwaltney

HALLOWEEN

There is one night each year I fear to be out.

Its the night the werewolves all howl.

When the goblins all perch on the old pasture fence

And the monsters ramble and prowl.

You'll see them on hiways and small country roads

You'll see them on alleys and streets.

And somewhere around their ghostly attire

There's a bag to be filled with "sweets".

And under each "garb" there's a beautiful child,

The most precious thing we posses.

Please turn on your light and give them some treat,

It'll make their whole night a success.

The pumpkins will glow from their big hollow eyes,

Their snaggle teeth add to the gloom.

While beady eyed bats beat the night with their wings

And witches fly by on a broom.

But the black cats will scatter and the witches fly home.

And the big harvest moon disappear.

The sun will come up on the following day,

And they won't be back for a year.

John L. Gwaltney