Christmas Poems 1995-1996

  TWAS THE MONTH BEFORE CHRISTMAS
 
Twas the month before Christmas,
And all thru the Libraries and Courthouse,
Researchers were stirring,
With their computer and a mouse.
 
Mt letters were sent to cousins with care,
In hopes of finding new ancestors there.
I sat with my reader and microfiche,
Then settled down and thought of my wish.
While visions of census records danced in my head,
I dreamed of what ancestors would be read.
 
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Grandpa and Grandma and others so dear.
Through the films I flew like a flash,
I can't write fast enough!  Balderdash!
More rapidly, the ancestors they came,
As I shouted out and called them by name.
 
There's Johnson's and Sims; Cottles and Fergusons,
Blacks, Crocketts and Russells; Hogans and Morrisons,
Here's Dovers and McQuerrys; Masnors and Evermans,
Also Hoovers and Easleys; Keelers and Keetemans,
Now Meyers and Lovans; Simmons, Moores and Davises,
Pitzers and Youngs; Luttrells, Pollards and Garrisses.
 
Nicholas Johnson, Nicholas Hutchins, St. Nicholas too.
Whoa, who is that chubby man with eyes of Blue?
Those eyes - how they twinkle, his dimples, how merry,
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
I laughed when I saw him, but then I awoke.
It was all a dream - the census records - all my notes.
 
So I picked up my papers, and turned around,
I'll come again, for ancestors yet to be found.
Then as I got in the car and drove out of sight,
I heard Great Grandpa say Happy Christmas and Goodnight.
 
1995

OH FAMILY TREE
 
Oh Family Tree, Oh Family Tree, your branches do delight us,
With Grandmas and with Grandpas; with Nephews and with Nieces;
See our Aunts and Uncles and our Cousins galore;
Plus our Fathers and Mothers; Brothers, Sisters and more.
 
From England and from Ireland; Scotland, Germany and Spain,
Our Ancestors and Relatives, to America they came,
To Massachusetts on the Mayflower to land at Plymouth Rock;
And on many other ships, to land at many other docks.
To Vermont and Pennsylvania, Virginia and the Carolinas;
Through Tennessee and Ohio; Kentucky, Georgia and Indiana.
 
They moved by horses, boats and wagons; then by trains and planes,
Ever Westward across the mountains and on toward the plains,
To settle in Illinois and Iowa; Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma;
Plus Arkansas and Kansas; California, New Mexico and Arizona.
 
Our ancestors were sailors and nurses; politicians and farmers;
Doctors, teachers and soldiers; plus homemakers and plumbers.
Some relatives were coal miners; others were gold miners,
Also secretaries and stockmen; lawyers, clerks and tradesmen,
All doing their part throughout history,
Building for the future and supporting their country,
 
Oh Family Tree, Oh Family tree; tis the season to recall,
All our family, past and present; all those who came before.
And to send to our children, and our kith and kin,
Good Wishes for all, these Holidays, and into the next Millennium.
 
1996

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This page was last updated January 10, 2001.