Earth Wind Fire and Water

Martians or Politicians
bt GC SMITH

Little green men
playing with matches
causing our world
to conflagrate

Ill winds fan flame
taking breath away
While little green men
do nothing but smile

Good green earth
a ball of fire
just as predicted
for this next time

Douse it, douse it
with lots of water
politicians (or martians)
have but a half glass full

Somebody has to do it and

I figger it might as well be me.

I live on a saltwater marsh in coastal South Carolina and have a dock in my back yard. The dock goes out 400 feet to a tidal creek that in turn leads to the intracoastal waterway. From there the waters of the world open up. (Eleven miles by boat from my house to the Atlantic ocean.)

The Lowcountry tide swing is about ten feet whch is a big swing. Twice a day the marsh is a grassy plane empty of water and twice a day the water is ten feet deep and the spartina grass is submerged. Fish, crabs, and shrimp come in on the tide flow and out on its ebb. I can stand on my dock with a cast net and get supper. At low tide you can see the creatures in the creek and the big water birds (egrets, herons, storks, ibis) come in for a meal. In the winter ducks (mostly buffleheads but some teal, merganser, woodduck, pintail, and mallard) are in the creek. Eagles, ospery and other variety of hawks soar overhead. Little birds (wrens, buntings, titmouse, and others) flit through the trees at the marsh edge. Sea otter, mink, and raccoon all forage the marsh and come into my yard. There is an abundance of deer (which get to be a nusiance eating shrubbery and flowers) but they were here before us. Finally, there is a Carolina panther stalking the area (I haven't seen it but friends have).

My view is of the marsh, the tidal creek, some small densly treed hummocks, and the waterway. We can see for miles. Looking north is pristine wilderness while the south view is of the town of Beaufort. We face west so the sunsets are spectacular, no two the same. Sunset at high tide produces colors for which there are no names. Yachts and cruise boats (some as large as 200 feet) pass our house.

I love the Lowcountry and its tides. They are endlessly facinating and set the pace of life here.

Of Time

It Ain't Twilight Time
By GC Smith

Perhaps autumn's breath will chill me,
but not just yet, it ain't quite that time,
'cause, damn I'm havin' much too much fun

Seventy full years upon this green earth
will be my time in just a few short months;
hell, that ain't old, I'm plannin' on a hunnert

There is so much left to do, I still gotta play,
and take my boat on out to gulf stream waters
and test my strength against a trophy marlin

Then there's books to read and poems to write,
all the good old stuff that makes my life so fine;
all of the stuff for which there ain't enough time

My gal and I still wake up each and every day
and hug and kiss and look out at the blue sky
as sun comes up over marshland and the river

Then there's all the shrimp, the crabs, the fish
taken with line and net from my tidal creek
that go so well with a goblet of good wine

There's lots to see and do that I ain't yet seen or done
so this autumn time is just gonna have to wait its turn
til somewhere way down the line I find my season's gone

This autumn time, by gol, it ain't near upon me yet;
though it's true I'm no longer in the springtime of life
nothing in my earthly time tells me it ain't still summer

This old guy intends to stick around God's green earth a while;
enjoying every minute of these glorious late summer days
and doing each of the many, many things that fill my life

Good Vittles

Cuke, Tomato, Onion Salad

Two ripe tomatos, diced in largish pieces
A large onion diced the same
Two peeled cucumbers also diced
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Greek vinigarette dressing, several ounces (Kraft brand is good)
Mix thoroughly and refrigerate

Variations:

Crumble in some feta cheese
Add some kalmata olives
Substitute dressing is red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil


Stuffed Mushroom Appetizers

12 to 18 large white mushrooms. Remove the stems and chop finely.
One onion finely chopped
A half cup of cashews or pistachios finely chopped
A half cup of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil finely chopped
Several cloves of garlic finely chopped
Fresh ground black pepper.

Sauté all of the peppered chopped stuff over medium heat for a few minutes. Stuff the mushroom caps with the concoction. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the stuffed shrooms. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the shrooms are done to your taste.

Yummy.

Dear, Deer

Protecting the Landscape
by GC SMITH

Deer are chompin' on the shrubs
shoo, get away you voracious critters
old wives say that mothballs repel them
redneck men advise piss on the bushes

I dunno what in hell will work
but something better had, and quick
before my flowering shrubbery is no more
hmm, this new 'lectric fence'll do the trick

Dad

I Never Finished Our Conversation
By GC SMITH

We spent many years together
Starting on the day I was born
I was his kid, he was my Dad
From him so much did I learn

We talked a lot of many things
Good stuff of life and the bad
Of how a man should spend life
And choices for right or wrong

Sure, my father wasn't a genius
But he had much wisdom in him
Mostly uncommonly common stuff
Stuff passed to me in our talks

He taught me that small minded people
Usually do not have a clue about life
But are quick to condemn other folks
While declaiming their superior wisdom

When days were dark and nights long
I'd go back to wise words from my Dad
Wisdom that always stood me in good stead
And bucked me up when things looked grim

We never finished our conversations
That began when I was just a kid
I was about a thousand miles away
When he closed wise eyes and died

Still there's plenty of Dad stayed with me
Though it's sad that we won't speak again
His words linger in my mind forever
I've tried to pass them to my kids

Grandpa's Day

Grandpa's Card from 2 year old Emmett
by GC SMITH

Emmett sent his Grand-Pop a card
with art work from his own sure hand
squiggles and swirls in vibrant color
a most talented work of fine abstract art

The card says Happy Fathers DAY
with the grand salutation LOVE
signature a dashing, bold - EMMETT
you know, I in return love you little man

So, thank you Emmett my grand boyo
I love the card to G-Pops that you sent
I'll keep it in my own special treasure box
I'll take it out to enjoy it from time to time

Thank you Emmett