BIRDS

The keeping of birds is part of history,
How far back no one can know.
Once luxury pets of kings and queens,
Or on the shoulders of pirates long ago.

Birds have remained on man's menu,
Though all can be tamed as a pet.
Chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys
Are served on the tables we set.

Noah sent a dove to find dry land,
And it returned with an olive leaf from a branch.
God gave birds feathers for clothes,
So in the elements they would have a chance.

The best way to enjoy wild birds,
Is to attract them close to you.
Providing feed, water, bushes and trees,
Is all a bird lover needs to do.

Birds are really quite remarkable,
When left alone to do their thing.
We have robbed their eggs and plucked their plumage,
And yet they continue to sing.

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MAN'S BEST FRIEND

A man's best friend is still his faithful dog,
Who anxiously awaits his return home.
Where would man be without his canine love,
When his human mates have left him alone.

If a man was as good as his dog thinks,
He'd be more famous than a football star.
It's too bad our wives don't feel the same way,
I guess its because they know how we are.

Man has no fear of his dog's love for life,
Though it’s usually man who buries his pet.
It matters not be they large or small,
What animal has loved man more, as yet?

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TREES

It's hard to imagine our world without trees,
Shadowed only by concrete and steel.
Thousands of products would soon disappear,
Changing everything we see and feel.

No more baseball played with wooden bats,
No more plums, pears, cherries or apple pie.
No more campfires to circle at night,
And to pencils and books say goodbye.

Trees like people come from seed,
Both drink breathe and consume.
They feed, house, and protect us,
As they sweeten the air with their bloom.

Larger and older than any living thing,
Far bigger then the ocean's blue whale.
Some grow 350 feet tall,
Before falling victim to the nail.

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HUMMING BIRD

The scent of roses, carnations and daises,
Draw to our gardens the humming bird so fair.
Evoking the essence of nature's living jewels
As the splendor of their plumage rides the air.

So graceful they fly with speed and direction,
Products of creation that dazzle the eye.
A luminous vision of worldly wonder,
Our most elusive visitor from the sky.

They're the smallest of the small on feathered wing,
Collecting with their tongues the sweetness of earth.
Enhancing our lives by their mere existence,
A temple of beauty, endurance, and worth.

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RAINY DAYS

Rainy days are a gift of life
As they water the thirsty of earth;
When nature sometimes weeps with joy,
Like a father who watches a birth.

Rainbows of color arch the sky
As storms prepare to part,
The sound of thunder shakes the ground,
As heaven speaks to my heart.

When storm filled skies are dark and gray.
That's when I yearn to strive.
Rainy days make some feel sad,
But for me, I feel so alive.

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DAWN

The songbirds sing as skies turn pink,
While the brightest stars fade away
One by one I watch them vanish,
As the sun gives birth to the day.

The scent of dawn is so fresh,
As flowers make ready to bloom.
The dew sparkles upon the grass,
While the morning dissolves my gloom.

A flock of geese circle above,
In search of some rest and a meal.
I watch them land upon a lake,
As inside, how lucky I feel.

The moon's still high upon its throne,
As it orbits across the sky.
I know that I shall love earth's dawns
Till the day in my grave, I lie.

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TWILIGHT

Twilight skies turn orange, pink and gray
As the stars watch the dying day.
The winds of night now stir the breeze,
While most birds roost the in trees.

The fireflies glide above the grass
As bullfrogs sing to torment bass.
Soon the moon will circle high
Beneath its cape of star-filled sky.

The twilight is first evening's bell
A time of peace when all is well.
Another day has come and gone
Not to return until the dawn.

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ROSES

Three hundred years after Christ's birth
Just south of Rome on fertile land,
Grew the sweetest queen of all flowers,
Roses cultivated by man.

The poet Horace once expressed
That roses were worth more than grain,
Seed fills a hungry man's stomach
Where roses feed his heart and brain.

Flourishing in ancient China,
Grown by monks for two thousand years.
Roses symbolized man's passion
For envy, sadness, love and tears.

Nero spent fortunes on roses
Whose petals showered down on his guests,
He wished to teach his subjects
That roses were an emperor's best.

So take down your shovels and plant,
Placing roses around your home.
For their sweet scent and great beauty
Are from heaven to us on loan.

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THE GARDENER

As flowers pop forth from the soil,
And the birds begin to sing.
The cold north wind sleeps once more,
And a gardener knows it's spring.

Daffodils are always first,
Sometimes before the snow shrinks.
Tulips are the next to bloom,
With their reds, yellows and pinks.

Then come the purple iris,
Whose scent makes men think of love.
Along with the sweet lilac
They give life's romance a shove.

When I was young and foolish,
I sowed my oats all around.
Now that I'm old and married,
I plant seeds and bulbs in the ground.

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WHERE THE BIG ONES BITE

When I was young and before girls
I loved to go fish the river.
Creeks and ponds where alright to
Anywhere that would deliver.

Fingerlings four to five inches long
Are what trophies love to feast on.
Trout line or pole made no difference
Bate up and the fight was on.

Sometimes I would strike a fire
To help keep warm in the night.
Spring, summer, fall, I was eager to go
Wherever the big ones bite.

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SPRING TIME

Easter lilies are in full bloom
As young men think of love.
Women can feel passion within
As they view the nesting dove.

Spring hangs her blossoms on the trees
Though winter's moss is dry and dead,
As their sweet scent invades the air,
Blades of grass raise their head.

Spring will soon vanish with the rose
And summer shall scorch earth again.
Daughter of heaven, mother of all,
Spring's loved by both women and men.

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STARS

Heaven's stars are the works of God,
The scriptures of his night sky.
After sunsets golden-red glow,
They 're there to captivate the eye.

No one can see beneath their feet,
As heaven's pearls ignite their souls.
To be as one with their maker,
Is the highest of human goals.

Blessed be the candies of night,
Which guide the sailors at sea.
Bathing earth with their soft glow,
For all who love them, as we!

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BESIDE LOVE MEN NEED FISHING

Besides love men need fishing,
And for both, most are wishing,
Catching trophies chosen best,
To be envied by the rest.

Fishing is a game of sport
Loved by all, both tall and short.
We must fool the fish’s eye,
If we plan to stir and fry,

Some use boats while others wade,
As they fish the sun or shade.
Ice-cold drinks help pass the day,
While life’s troubles fade away.

Most men feel they've everything,
With their rod, hook, cork and string.
Be it river, pond or lake,
We all pray our line won't break.

By Tom Zart

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