Work to be done, if family's to be fed
Pa's the eldest son ...there's no other men
Hitch up the plow, he's proud ...and almost ten
Flowers for Grandma, she's been cryin' alot
Besides the kids, Grandpa's all she's really got
That's the way it was, after the war
Sayin', "It's the Depression," & few's got anymore
Grandpa gets outta bed before he's well
No one works harder than him, that I hear tell
Neighbors help each other, hope starts to grow
Don't make it to town much, that life isn't much known
War breaks out, around the radio they all anxiously sit
Pearl Harbor gets bombed, war really becomes legit
Pa joins other men, to fight a dreaded World War Two
Many young girls help too, doing all they can do
As the war ends, there's a renewed sense of hope
Most everyone's growed up alot ...while trying to cope
Some look for the girl they'll marry some day
And perhaps raise a family, in some sort of way
It's like startin' over, a brand new dream
He smiles at her, and also sees her gleam
Pa & Ma marry in a church, and give it a go
If they'll have any children, only God knows
Soon their two little sons, happily sit on a wall
One minute we're smilin', the next in a brawl
Sweet little girl, of another family, yet to be born
Not to be found amongst those fields of sweet corn
Where, oh where, oh where shall she be
Smilin' at her daddy, swingin' from a tree
Or the pride of her mommy, wearing that red bow
Now going out for ice cream, later, who knows
Miles upon miles, upon miles away
College awaits, for me to attend one day
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College life and the city is much different, for sure
I'm not used to this, now almost missing the manure
But somewhere down the road, and not fully realized
A relationship needed to be cultivated, not fertilized
Older generation, it was in a town a few miles down the road
For me, it's across the state, in a whole different abode
Only God knows all the winding roads, and all those curves
And those getting particular attention, out in the burbs
It took some time, and a detour or two, but God's timing is always there
The last of five sons ...to marry God's choice of lovely blue eyes and gold hair
Now, years have passed ...an it's not been all marital bliss
But thank God for the growth of family, and the love that is His ...
There's no one on earth that I'd ever rather be with
Than the one in my arms, and that's certainly no myth.
(Attempted to write through my Dad's perspective. He came from a family of six children ...with four girls, and he, the oldest of two boys. I also came from a family of six, and I am the second of five boys, and have one sister. My wife and I have five children ...with two daughters, and three sons. This, of course, was not all mentioned in the poem ...as I am not that good at rhyming that I can also afford to be thorough.)
