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    Mud Between Our Toes: A Collection of Verses and Vignettes
    Mud Between Our Toes: A Collection of Verses and Vignettes
    Mud Between Our Toes: A Collection of Verses and Vignettes
    Ebook149 pages1 hour

    Mud Between Our Toes: A Collection of Verses and Vignettes

    By Jack Straley

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    About this ebook

    A collection of faith based poems and short stories about life in rural central Texas in the fifties
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateOct 5, 2011
    ISBN9781467036450
    Mud Between Our Toes: A Collection of Verses and Vignettes
    Author

    Jack Straley

    Jack Straley was born in Lampasas County Texas in 1946 and grew up in the small rural farming community of Adamsville. Adamsville, the First Baptist Church, the three room frame schoolhouse and farm life created the atmosphere all these memories and stories came from. The Christian principles taught by strong parents are the basis of the Christian faith his poems are based on. Mr. Straley now resides in Huntsville, Alabama with his wife and two of their thirteen grandchildren . From the times remembered in the story, “New Cars” to today, he is still working in the automobile business.

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      Book preview

      Mud Between Our Toes - Jack Straley

      Image%203.jpg

      Mud

      Between

      Our Toes

      A Collection of Verses And Vignettes

      Image%204%20stack%20of%20books.jpg

      Jack Straley

      US%26UKLogoB%26Wnew.ai

      AuthorHouse™

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.authorhouse.com

      Phone: 1-800-839-8640

      © 2011 by Jack Straley. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      First published by AuthorHouse 09/23/2011

      ISBN: 978-1-4670-3647-4 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4670-3645-0 (ebk)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2011916511

      Printed in the United States of America

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      This book is printed on acid-free paper.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Contents

      BOOK 1

      FAMILY

      ALEX

      CAMPING

      HAIR

      ME

      GREENS

      MY MOTHER

      MY FATHER

      US

      SO LONG MY FRIEND

      ME AND YOU

      COVERS

      JOY

      LEGACY

      CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

      The Greatest Gift

      EASTER

      IN GOD WE TRUST

      THANKSGIVING

      VALUE

      MY PLACE

      LIGHTHOUSE

      PICTURES

      UNSPOKEN SIGNS

      VISIONS

      MEMORIALS

      HERO

      BOOK 2

      Bonnie & Clyde

      Adamsville

      The Cemetery

      Christmas

      The Night The Circus

      Came To Town

      Hear That Music

      Ice Cream

      Old Diver

      The Orchard

      The Outhouse

      Reunion

      The Revival

      The Hobo

      School Days

      The Garden

      The Patch

      The Barn

      The Tummy Ache

      Punishment

      Have A Chew

      New Cars

      Imagination

      Rivalry

      Pecans

      Prom Night

      The Egg Farm

      Corn Cobs

      Mrs. Griffin

      Wash Day

      Poor Folks

      Heaven

      The Baptizing

      MUD

      Dedicated to the memory of

      Image%202.jpg

      Eunice and A.J. Straley

      BOOK 1

      verses

      ON

      FAMILY

      FAMILY

      I have family both far and near

      Each relationship, I hold so dear.

      The one that shows me total love

      Comes from Almighty, God above.

      If I can find the strength each day

      To live and act in the way I pray

      My worries and my cares will fade

      Because of the price my savior paid.

      When children need a helping hand

      We reach out through the family of man.

      I lead my children everywhere I can

      Knowing we are a part of God’s great plan.

      I may not stay both straight and strong

      For like all men, I do much wrong.

      And in those times, I reach inside

      And realize there is no place to hide.

      The commitments made by us each day,

      Are confirmed, with acts, at work and play.

      While on this earthen path we trod

      We still are of, the family of God.

      Commitments that we make today

      Forever, in our hearts should stay.

      There is no family, greater around

      Than that which God, has unbound.

      ALEX

      For seven years, with lots of pain

      He lived his life, then the angels came.

      A shining face, a beaming smile

      He gave us pleasure all the while.

      Heavens gates were open wide

      He saw God smiling, showing pride.

      Peace and fun he now has found,

      That earthly body has been unbound.

      The sadness and sorrow, that we share

      Is greatly magnified, because we care.

      In heaven now, he plays and lives

      Good memories unto us he gives.

      Alex now, we shall dearly miss,

      The tears we shed, now show this.

      When in despair, and you need a show,

      Look t’ward Heaven, there’s a brand New Glow.

      CAMPING

      The ground is hard and very cold,

      That’s why I want to be upon it, not in it.

      I may be growing tired and old

      But A.J. and I are still able to tent it.

      There are no fires to be allowed

      We search for heat where ere we can.

      We have hotdogs to feed this crowd,

      And we heat them over a little can.

      The sleeping bags are nice and warm,

      The starry skies are bright above.

      We go to sleep and fear no harm,

      For the two of us share trust and love.

      HAIR

      I have so little hair today,

      I don’t know when it went away.

      I look in the mirror and what do I see?

      An older fellow that resembles me.

      I have so little hair today,

      I don’t know why it went away.

      My head now gets, so very cold,

      Could it be, I’m growing old?

      I creak, and groan, and often pop,

      When will these noises ever stop.

      My joints all ache, and my feet are sore.

      All this talk of age, becomes a bore.

      Wisdom comes with age I hear,

      My brains so big, it’ll explode, I fear.

      The salves and balms, and pills I take

      An ugly cocktail, they surely make.

      I see young kids all running wild

      This rocking chair makes me so mild.

      I think I’m still so young at heart,

      But why’s thin hair so hard to part?

      ME

      I want to be what I can be,

      Both as a parent and a friend.

      What will my story tell of me,

      When once I reach the end.

      A life of love and caring,

      I tried to give my very best.

      And as my years go faster,

      I hope I pass the final test.

      Home and family, dear to me,

      I struggled for, so very long.

      At times I felt defeated,

      And worked so all alone.

      When times appeared the darkest,

      Lonely solitude, I often fought.

      Until so tired and frightened,

      I remembered, what I was taught.

      I do not walk the trail alone

      But hold a guiding hand.

      Treasures that I say I own

      Have come from this great land.

      My earthly treasures may be plenty

      But they hold no key for me.

      The golden streets of Heaven,

      Are paved with blood from thee.

      A name as good as solid gold

      Is all I really have to give.

      And if I ever am so bold

      It’s how I tried to live.

      GREENS

      I hate these peas and green beans too

      I hate them bad, what will I do.

      All things green, I cannot stand

      They shouldn’t be served to any man.

      A great big man I may not be,

      But strong and tall I want to see.

      Without eating beans or a silly pea

      I don’t know what’ll become of me.

      I wish I had a great big dog

      To lay on the floor just like a log.

      He’d come and save me from the strife

      That peas and beans bring to my life.

      McDonalds is my favorite place,

      They have no greens, I rest my case.

      Thank goodness now that winter comes

      I can eat my nuggets, and then be done.

      MY MOTHER

      My mother can’t be with us

      It’s just another year.

      She left a long, long time ago

      But yet, I feel she’s near.

      This day we set aside for Mothers

      We know how dear they are.

      They give us life and comfort

      Even when we stray so far.

      There is no road they will not walk

      Nor mountain they can’t scale

      There is no limit to their soul

      They know you cannot fail.

      I know my mother is in heaven

      She always knew the way.

      She taught me early, right from wrong,

      For this I praise the day.

      And now on this your honored day

      Take joy in what you’ve done.

      I pay you homage every day,

      This boy, this man, your son.

      MY FATHER

      My father left this mortal world

      When sixty was his age.

      I then had many talks with God

      To quell my inner rage.

      I could not understand back then

      Why God would let this be.

      I still don’t know just really why,

      He did this awful thing to me.

      The light grows dim, from years gone by

      And answers still I seek.

      When things look dark, and I’m alone,

      I look t’ward heaven, and wait for him to speak.

      Soft words and warmth surround me

      With a calm I find so rare,

      The ease that overcomes me,

      Makes my wrath go bare.

      The voice that leads me onward

      Comes from a mighty source,

      It gives me strength and courage

      To handle any course.

      My father was a farmer, the soil his only aid,

      He toiled for hours in the field.

      His crops were grown, his family grew

      The Bible was his shield.

      He put the seed of trust and faith

      In everything he did.

      When on that day his journey ended,

      He left this lonely kid.

      I could not see through

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