Defending the Honor, a poem for my friend Donna Jo by Jim Jenkins

Defending the Honor

I got real mad the other day, when I heard what someone said

about my good friend Donna Jo in the words that I had read.

I thought they said she was now a heifer or had become a big old steer;

as her friend these were words I didn’t like, and didn’t want to hear.

Then somebody else said she’s not a cow, she’ll always be a hog.

I said, how can you talk about my friend like she’s some kind of dog?

You see I was getting very upset and was ready to go to battle;

how could I just stand here and let them called her hogs and cattle?

So preparing for an argument, I was ready, her honor to defend

against the things they were saying and the names they called my friend.

Then all of a sudden someone spoke up in a slow paced southern draw;

and said my friend you misunderstand, Donna grew up in Arkansas.

In Arkansas they call their college team not hogs, but razorbacks;

and take their loyalty serious when they begin to talk some smack.

So, by growing up in Arkansas, the “Hogs” they were her team

and calling her a “Hog” was not as viscious as it might seem.

But when Donna moved south a bit to the grand old state of Texas

It was just like she had punched her “Hog” buddy’s in the solar plexus.

So, they caught their breath from the punch of her moving to the south

and started picking on her by saying things and running off at the mouth.

From far away I didn’t understand where this name-calling had begun;

I didn’t realize the name-calling was other friends who were having fun.

But, in Texas, they are loyal too and also care about where you’re born;

but they’ll be willing to overlook it if she screams out “hook-em horns.”

She must also learn a new gesture with her fingers, holding up her hand;

so she won’t be seen as the enemy of those loyal Longhorn fans.

But in the privacy of her home in a back room hung up on the wall

will be the flag of Arkansas and you’ll see no Texas orange at all.

So I hope the words of this story I’ve written have given you all a laugh

about a place called Texarkana, where the town is split in half.

Where it is fine to call the women names and you can run your mouth

as long as you get it right; hogs are north and steers are south.

Song: How I Found You

My neighbors and I were talking and she made the comment that her husband always had to have the best of everything. She said, "Look at his mower, look at his golf clubs, look at everything he has, he always has to have the best of everything." After hearing this I replied: "Well, what does that say about you, he picked you didn't he?" I came up with this song after the conversation we had. Hope you enjoy!

Link to recording of the song:      http://www.soundclick.com/bassviking

How I Found You
by Jim Jenkins

I have learned a life lesson over the years

that to get what you want you must pay.

Buy better things, they last and won’t break;

is what most of the people would say.


To get things I wanted, I checked it all out;

if you buy the best, what's said is so true.

When shopping, you’ll get what you pay for;

and darling, that’s how I got you.


I haggled, I bartered, I traded and hunted,

for just what I wanted in life

I’m not sorry I looked for the best things

that’s how I found you; my wife


I have friends who tried to choose bargains;

the way things turned out was a shame.

The cheap things they chose got fragile with time

and I saw what their lives became.


So please don’t second-guess me;

When I always want to choose the best

for in choosing the best I chose you dear

and for that I will always be blessed.


I haggled, I bartered, I traded and hunted,

for just what I wanted in life

I’m not sorry I looked for the best things

that’s how I found you; my wife

the best choice I made in my life.

Song: "I'm Not Afraid to Cry"

Link to recording of song:            http://www.soundclick.com/bassviking

I'm Not Afraid to Cry!

By  Jim Jenkins

When I was just a child, I was told I should be tough.

Boys weren't supposed to cry; even when life's rough.

I lived that way until the day I saw my daddy die;

after that it didn't matter if they saw me cry.

Living every day, we all have our highs and lows.

All of life’s emotions I was told I shouldn’t show.

But I don't worry anymore about what people say;

cause it really doesn't bother me to cry these days.

The world has children being hurt and soldiers going to war.

How can people hurt their kids and what are we fighting for?

These stories on the news often made me very mad;

but I kept holding back my tears not showing I was sad.

Why can't the people in this world all just get along?

There isn't enough good, there’s too much going wrong!

I pray for our young men and women on the battle line.

I worry with the parents and the families left behind.

Living every day, we all have our highs and lows.

All of life’s emotions I was told I shouldn’t show.

But I don't worry anymore about what people say;

cause it really doesn't bother me to cry these days.

Now that I've grown older, I see life a different way.

Everything that bothered me still bothers me today.

It's just that now I'm not afraid to let emotions show;

and I'm not sorry anymore for letting my tears go.

Living every day, we all have our highs and lows.

All of life’s emotions I was told I shouldn’t show.

But I don't worry anymore about what people say;

cause it really doesn't bother me to cry these days.

And it just don't take that much for me to cry these days.

Jim's Fables - The Cornered Rat by Jim Jenkins

Fable of The Cornered Rat

As a young fellow, my friends and I would often go hunting. One of our hunts involved going to the local grain elevator and killing rats. The grain elevator was located right in the center of town. Nobody liked the rats; which were very plentiful; getting full and growing large on the corn and beans often spilled during the unloading and storage of the grains.

While on one of these hunts, I was partnered up with a local fellow, years older than us, who was mentally slow. He usually just nodded instead of talking. We never thought he was smart enough to have a conversation. We headed off, armed with our guns and our flashlights in search of the huge rats, which lived and fattened themselves on the grains. Flashlights were taped to our rifles so we had light as we aimed our guns.

Following him into a building, it seemed obvious we had found the mother lode of all rats. Everywhere I looked; one of these seemingly massive creatures appeared to lurk in a corner of the darkened building. Their eyes reflected back at our lights as they scurried around. The creatures seemed even larger by the coal blackness of the night and the fear of getting bit. Horror stories had been shared with us about getting bit by rabid animals; at a minimum suffering a nasty bite; being subjected to a series of painful shots; or at it’s worst; dying as a result of such an attack from these vicious creatures.

Determined that we had found our hunted prize, I turned and began to close the door behind us, shutting out what little light was creeping into the room from the door opening. I thought it best to trap our prey in the building and not let it out. As the door almost shut and the room grew even darker, the older fellow I was partnered up with began yelling, making all kinds of weird sounds, pushing me out of the way and reopening the door. Fearing he had suffered the worst, I scrambled of the room, back into the evening air, where scared and nervous, I immediately began to question how serious he was hurt. He informed me that he was not hurt. Aggravated, I then asked him why all the noise and demonstration. To that he explained: “Never close the door on a rat. If you close the door, the rat will have no way to get out. The rat will try to fight you to get away. If you leave the door open, instead of fighting you, the rat will do everything he can to try to go out the door and get away. It is better to let the rat get away than to fight the rat and have it bite you.”

With that bit of wisdom shared, we then returned to our hunt, where the door remained open and we successfully hunted the rats without injury. Only later did the events of the evening and his words hold more meaning to me.

Moral

In our lives, we all come across our rats, not the furry types, but the human type. They could be a friend, a child, your spouse, a neighbor, a co-worker, an employee or even your boss. When the need for change occurs, sometimes the situation dictates you confront others (your rats) with the need for change! When such a confrontation is necessary, never shut the door, always leaving a dignified opening for them to crawl out of. You can’t dictate change; you can only bring the reason for change to light and allow the other person to make the necessary change. You can’t change people; they must change themselves! Once something is brought to their attention, most people become their own harshest critic and make the change.

Cornering a rat causes it to fight back and bite you; leaving at best a painful wound. Avoid the wounds of confrontation by allowing the rats in your life a way to save their pride and make any necessary changes by always leaving the door open.

Why Change, Why Worry by Jim Jenkins

I recently had thoughts about changing me, so I started by making a list
of what I would like to accomplish, what I’ve done and what I have missed.
My list had a column for each of the things I wanted to remember and note.
Thoughts and ideas sprang forward, and became scribbled the faster I wrote.
The list got big very quickly, of things to do and already done in my life.
It included material things like houses and cars and raising two boys with a wife,
my desire for a piece of property, to have quality friends and my health,
I never for one second considered, making a listing for wealth.
My scribbling included relationships, both those current and others long gone;
divorce ended one, death ended others, and with some I maintain a bond.
A listing of people involved in my life, who have made it be what it’s been.
I see some pretty regular, some not at all, and others I’ve not seen for years;
some which I can never see again and those thoughts of them bring about tears.
I scratched down successes I’ve had in this life or still hope to have fore I’m through,
the many ways which I’ve helped others, and more that I’d like to do.
Then I edited my list for what made me happy, when those things happened before.
Most seemed just like a starting point, a place to begin searching for more.
But there were some items which made me contented, and left my face with a smile.
I wondered aloud, why not revisit these things, why has it been such a while;
since I stopped and pondered how good things are and realized how good they could be;
if I only would quit dwelling on the future of things and open my eyes up and see;
Why are we often dissatisfied, dwelling on things we don’t have or things sad?
Why not look at the good that we’ve got, and not always focus on bad?
Though successes in life seem to matter, as a measure of what we’ve all done,
they remain just a way to compare us with others and keep us from having some fun.
So, after much pondering and putting this list together and giving it all of this thought
I’m going to start enjoying the things that I have, and I’ve decided that changing, I’m not !
I’ve come to the conclusion, there’s nothing wrong with me, except losing a pound or two;
which can keep me from having one hell of a life, until my time on this earth is through.
So I will embrace my friends and look for others, and realize many consider me a success.
I just need to relax and quit worrying about things that sometimes have made me a mess.
So, my life is where it was as I began this year, not sure of what this year might be bringing.
But I am going to move forward one day at a time, and to the life that I have, I’ll be clinging.
I’m not going to cry on anyone’s shoulder and burden them with some useless story;
I am just going to enjoy all of that which I have, and until I’m done, Why worry ?

The Coaches Wife by Jim Jenkins

When his day as a coach is just beginning;
when his thoughts have turned to his team winning;
you leave your every day job and head off to your other;
where you handle cooking, cleaning and you are the mother.
You usually have the laundry, the kids and the meals;
you have to be the taxi service for the kids with your wheels.
Each and every day, you take care of the kids and the house
You provide the stability needed, as the coach’s spouse.

Sitting in the stands, sometimes your husband gets cursed;
Pretending not to hear what is said, cruel people are the worst.
You handle it well when somebody gets too harsh and loud;
you look beyond what you hear, you choose to stay proud.
For you accept what coaches do in molding these young men,
as they teach them life’s lessons; as they strive for that win.
You help with what is needed, you do everything you can,
You offer your all, for you’re his number one fan.

After the games, you rush and go straight to your kitchen
And though you are tired, this is not a time for bitchin
Because there is a group that will show up, wanting to eat
And they won’t have anything to feed on if you don’t fix a treat.
You worry each time, is my house presentable and clean;
is there enough to eat, drink, everything in between?
For this becomes your playing field, and most folks cannot tell
The game prep you have done so all this turns out well.

And, when all of this is over, and it is the end of a hectic day;
you still have things to think about, other roles to play.
You may have to soothe his feelings if the game turned out bad;
and avoid making it worse by saying something to make him mad.
You worry about the children and the time you feel is not spent;
and the way they handled all of this as their day has come and went.
But, they are tough and so are you as you handle this type of life;
tomorrow will be another day in the life of a coach’s wife.

Family by Jim Jenkins

I’m not one who always takes or makes the time
to show or share with my family just how I feel.
Too often, like others, I get caught up in the things
that I think are important and real.

Life’s reality is, we’re around a very short time;
so, we should more often stop and rethink;
about what is really important in each of our lives;
as too often, it’s gone in a blink.

Because we don’t take the time to say the words,
doesn’t mean that the thought isn’t there.
And, though efforts would be appreciated if we showed one another;
when absent, shouldn’t mean we don’t care.

So, as I take the time to think about each one of you;
I feel very certain, I really do know it;
how much we have all meant to each other,
even though we always don’t show it

We all take comfort in knowing, we can depend on each other;
to be there, when one of us gets down.
Even though we get frustrated when we don’t visit enough;
if we are needed, we’d all be around.

For, we are all the offspring and product of family;
and parents who raised us this way;
they showed us how to care and look out for each other
as we’ve gone about living each day.

So, for all that we do and have done for one another,
let us pledge to continue and strive
to make some time in our lives for each other
for as long as we all are alive.

And when one or even some of us, are no longer here;
when life as we know it has moved on;
we’ll still have our memories, our thoughts of each other;
which means we’ll never be gone.