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Immortalizing Memories From My Hippie Mom

It was recently, that my mother now in her 70s, sent me a manila folder of some of her writings. Her request was that I give her words a platform to share with others. This poetry comes from a time in our family when mom and dad decided to pack up everything and give off-grid living a try.  Those times were hard, fun, weird, and inspiring all at the same time. My hippie mom's words are real accounts set into a poem which I hope you all enjoy. 

Woes On The Old Homestead

R. J. Bise - 1982 

Edited by - Michael Bise

A workin man, forgin a life. Tried to do the best I could.

Got some children, and a wife. Never get nutin good.

There's a cold spell comin. Gonna chop some wood.

Prices got higher. Now what shall we eat?

Beans, cornbread, and honey? There ain't no meat.

Light the fire, grease the pan. Ma's makin cornbread again.

Now, I got my land, but lost my job, and couldn't pay rent.

Had some calves, a mama cow, a jenny and a jack. 

Till we could build our house, we slept in a camper and a tent.

Had an outside shower, a barrel painted black, and an outhouse past the trees out back.

We cleared many acres new. Punched a timecard too. 

Planted a garden, that never grew.

Got blisters on our hands, and holes in our shoes.

Had an old truck to get us to town.

Gotta get us some livestock to eat this grass down.

Picked up some chickens and some ducks. Brought home some goats in that pick up truck.

Those chickens ran wild when the goats claimed the coop.

They ate all the chicken feed, and the fruit trees to boot.

One fighting red rooster who sat in the trees, dropped acorns on the dog to tease.

He hid in the weeds, and liked to attack. 

Especially Grandpa, every time he'd pass.

That old codger,  the rooster that is. So tough you couldn't eat him. 

Took eight hours in a pot just to eat him.

Our kamikaze ducks, followed their leader right into our camp and into the fire.

The leader got cooked,

The others were saved, sept for one so unlucky, got the webs burnt off one foot.

That duck grew up with one short paw.

Swimming in circles was his forte. Funniest thing we ever saw.

We got two piglets for our stead, almost broke my legs.

In the holes they made all over the place.

They tore up everything, even the fence pegs. 

Even ate the ducks, found feathers on their face.

One went to our freezer, the other got traded.

for some fresh new fencing to replace what they berated.

Never got that house built, pulled in a trailer.

Went back to civilization a few years later.

When we ran out of bacon.