My first verse, “Hallie,” was written when I was in the eighth grade.  My teacher was Mrs. B.B. Knight, who was kind enough to let me read the poem in class and give me a good grade.  The other students liked it because it was “our kind of thing” – the weekend at the Palace Theatre in Roxboro, watching western movies and eating popcorn.

Hallie

Way down in the valley

Lived a girl named Hallie

She was very mean and bad.

She killed her brother, sis and Dad.

One day the sheriff came down,

He came to take Hallie back to town.

She was tried and sentenced in Lohove,

And there, the two fell in love.

The sheriff cried when Hallie died.

The sheriff got old, his hair got gray.

He was sorry Hallie went away.

Soon he became ill and died.

He said, “Now I’ll have Hallie by my side.”

***

The Stallion was written for my nephew, Michael, who loves horses.  He had spent a lot of money to buy a new horse and I questioned the profitability of it.  I still don’t know if he has a champion, but he still owns and loves horses.

The Stallion

There he stands, with proud head lifted,

Nostrils flaring, gentle sniffing

The smell of dried hay.

Four spindly legs continuously working,

Red muscles constantly jerking,

Bridled strength kept at bay

He shall run fast, he shall run far.

He will jump over the highest bar;

Then with sweeping eyes, survey the ring,

Announcing to the world, “I am the King!”

Righter Publishing Company, Inc.-PO Box 105-Timberlake, NC 27583