Journey Home

Journey Home

by Shirley Jones
Journey Home

Journey Home

by Shirley Jones

Paperback

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Overview

Journey Home is a series of poems reflecting farm life in the 1950-60's before many practices vanished with technological changes. Having a keen eye for detail, the author describes the typical layout of a farm as well as the chores and customs of the era. As you cherish the unforgettable characters, you will experience universal feelings of joy, sadness, hope, and humor. The love of family, farm animals and the, land is central and captured in the various topics. Revisiting the farm is a trip into nostalgia when the farm produced most of family's food and neighbors depended upon each other for hog-killing, quilting, fires and' sickness. Several vintage photos enhance the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781456766177
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Publication date: 06/20/2011
Pages: 112
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.27(d)

About the Author

Shirley Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film, and television. In her six decades of show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), and The Music Man (1962). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a vengeful prostitute in Elmer Gantry (1960).

Read an Excerpt

Journey Home


By Shirley D. Jones

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Shirley D. Jones
All right reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4567-6617-7


Chapter One

    The Farm

    In the rolling red hills of clay
    Lay our small farm
    At the bottom
    Of the first hill.

    Beyond stretched a narrow dirt road
    Down to the pond
    Hidden in woods
    Of oak and pine.

    Lady slippers grew on the way;
    Their pink blossoms
    Shaped like a bag
    Holding nectar.

    The dam rose above the water;
    Led to high field
    And forgotten
    Trail to mail box.


    The Old House

    Old house built in 1881 had one room down
    And one upstairs
    Reached by wedged stairs
    Behind a door.

    Facing north the front door had year built
    Nailed into wood
    At the very top
    For all to see.

    The back door faced south and was locked
    In later years
    To safeguard food
    In the freezer.

    Two windows had shutters outside;
    The one upstairs
    Would swing wide open
    From unlatched hook.

    Rafters held cured hams and dried herbs,
    Clothes hung on pegs,
    Closet under stairs
    Contained canned goods.

    Bachelor suite for my father;
    Shelf for his clock
    And radio;
    Hot meals at mom's.

    Honeymoon cottage for my parents,
    With warm fireplace,
    Two heavy quilts
    And lots of love.


    Unlucky Fourth

    Four maple trees planted in a row;
    One for sister,
    One for mother
    And one for me.

    The last one was for my Daddy:
    His death symbol.
    It didn't live
    Like the others.


    A Tale of Two Trees

    Two massive oak trees side by side
    Grew leaves for years;
    Dropped tiny acorns
    In the front yard.

    Then came the spring when one was bare;
    Killed by disease.
    Only one left
    To bring new leaves.

    The roots of both trees overlap
    Making it hard
    To see where one
    Starts and one ends.

    Two sisters lived at the home place;
    The first one's gone,
    The younger knows
    Her time is next.


    Apple Orchard

    Nine trees grew behind Grandmother's
    House: three Golden
    Delicious
    And six Winesap

    My favorite was one Golden
    Delicious;
    I climbed the limbs
    And ate the fruit.

    Another's trunk was hard to climb;
    I left my shoe
    When I got stuck
    In the first fork.

    People came to gather winesaps
    To make pies and
    Apple cider,
    But watched for wasps.


    Flowers on the Farm

    Tiny green leaves unfurl in spring
    As a soft touch
    Against blue skies
    Or rainy days.

    Grandma's garden was a showplace
    Where beautiful
    Blooming bushes
    Grew here and there.

    Baby's breath has delicate white
    Miniature blooms
    In a cluster
    On thin bushes.

    Golden yellow buttercups nod
    To each other
    Along the drive
    And under trees.

    Yellow and red tulips were closed
    Then opened wide
    To show nectar
    On black stamens.

    Blue irises were planted in old churn
    Broken when I
    Pushed past the maid
    In child-like haste.

    Petunias circled an oak stump
    Making purple,
    Pink, and white bed
    For sleepy cat.

    Red or white rose buds and green ferns
    Often became
    Sweet corsages
    For Mother's Day.


    Cats in Flowers

    One cat slept in the petunias
    That ringed a stump;
    Named Petunia,
    She had kittens.

    She became Grandma Petunia
    When one off-spring
    Grew up to nap
    In petunias.


    Foggy and Sure

    Deep in the pasture stood two trees;
    Foggy and Sure
    Growing against
    The western sky.

    Foggy had two ears like a dog;
    He was fearful
    Because the fog
    Covered him up.

    Sure was the taller of the two;
    Like a feather
    She swayed in winds
    But was not scared.

    Sure reassured shorter Foggy
    Who stood out front
    Looking ahead;
    Sure watched his back.

    On clear, stormy, or foggy days,
    They remained guards
    At the homestead
    Of my childhood.


    The Necessary House

    Beside an orange persimmon tree,
    Stood our outhouse,
    Unpainted wood
    Tin roof, one seater.

    The cement floor had build-in seat
    With wooden lid,
    Covering a hole
    Dug for our waste.

    A Sears and Roebuck catalog
    Hung on a nail
    Ready to wipe
    Or to review.

    A poor gray kitten met his death;
    Lost his balance,
    Falling in the hole,
    Drowned in the slime.

    There was no time to fetch a stick
    To rescue him;
    I still can hear
    Pitiful cries.


    Granny's Two-Seater

    My granny's outhouse was deluxe;
    A two seater
    For the women
    To sit and chat.

    Peeling white paint under tin roof,
    It sat behind
    The apple trees;
    Place to gossip.

    A long bench with two matching holes
    Side by side;
    Ready to use
    For business.


    For Ladies Only

    Flat River Church had an out-house
    Built behind trees;
    Busy Sundays
    Had lines outside.

    Inside a rustling of britches,
    Flutter of paper;
    Shared laughs and tears;
    Made long friendships.

    Men's habits were solitary,
    One here or there
    Sneaked to the woods
    For nature's call.


    Cool Water

    Our well sat on a concrete block
    Covering rock lined
    Deep hole filled
    With cool water.

    Peering inside the wooden frame,
    My reflection
    Looked back at me
    Like a mirror.

    The prettiest well without a doubt
    Belonged to my aunt.
    Built with smooth rocks,
    It was cone shaped.

    Only a step from her back porch,
    It was indeed
    Running water
    Of the fifties.

    I carried a water bucket
    From the hand pump
    Until we got
    Running water.

    On cold nights an electric bulb
    Replaced lanterns
    To keep pipes warm
    Inside pump house.

    An old spring still gave cool water
    At the bottom
    Of a steep hill
    In the pasture.


    Adding On

    When I was seven, our house got
    An addition
    Of two big rooms
    On the east side.

    There was a big eat-in kitchen,
    Dining room that
    Became a den,
    Pantry and bath.

    The window in our living room
    Was enlarged to
    A big pretty
    Picture window.

    There were shelves beside the double
    Windows over
    The kitchen sink
    For our knick knacks.

    The old kitchen became a new
    Bedroom beside
    The other one
    But was larger.

    When the carpenters left each day,
    My sister and I
    Played doctor and
    Nurse in closets.

    I loved the sweet smell of new wood,
    Sound of hammers,
    And playing with
    Left over blocks.

    I made castles and wooden roads
    For my little
    Ceramic dolls,
    Toy trucks and cars.


    Of Ghosts and Such

    Tenants who lived in the cabin
    On the hillside,
    Swore of hauntings
    They had witnessed.

    We preyed upon one old man's
    Fears by hiding
    And making noise
    While he chopped wood.

    He stopped splitting slabs with his axe
    And standing still
    Looked and listened
    To find the source.

    Seeing nothing he resumed work
    But stopped again
    When he heard groans
    From the pasture.

    Asking if he believed in ghosts,
    He said: "Yessum,
    I sure do cuz
    I heard a haint".


    Family Heroine

    There stood an ancestral home
    Dating back to
    The Civil War
    When Sherman marched.

    A few soldiers from Yankee troops
    Walked down the road;
    Approached the house
    Asking for horses.

    Not to be outdone, the matron
    Got her rifle
    And promised to
    Shoot any horse thieves.

    Leaving everything intact,
    The soldiers made
    Their departure
    With empty hands.

    Ancestors of this matriarch
    May pride themselves
    On the spunk of
    This role model.


    Autumn on the Farm

    Dusty yellow sycamore trees
    Begin the trend
    Of leaves turning
    Many colors.

    Bright orange maples blaze bolder than
    Crimson and brown
    Oaks with falling
    Leaves to the ground.

    Dried corn stalks stand as quiet sentries;
    Their ears are gone,
    Their husks are tan
    And quite brittle.

    Pecan trees release their bounty,
    Leave open hulls
    As nuts slip out
    Falling on ground.

    When the walnut trees became bare
    As walnuts fell;
    It's time once more
    To go to school.

    Honking geese fly in formation
    Making a "V"
    Above tree tops;
    Then they are gone.


    Hurricane Hazel

    When Hurricane Hazel blew through;
    Daddy lost his cap
    When checking on
    Pigs in their pen.

    Torrents of rain fell and winds howled
    Counterclockwise
    Before the eye
    Then turned clockwise.

    School dismissed early for the storm;
    Getting off bus,
    We sought haven
    With close neighbors.

    My uncle found his kids safe
    Eating hot dogs
    Under the table
    In dining room.

    After the wind and rain tapered,
    We saw damage:
    Lost one pine tree
    And lots of limbs.

    Other storms have come and gone:
    Hazel was the first
    Tropical storm
    I remembered.


    Catching the Bus

    Up the hill and around the curve;
    We huffed and puffed,
    Carrying our books
    To the bus stop.

    Kerchiefs and muddy galoshes
    Worn to school
    On rainy days
    Were the attire.

    Our yellow bus had a flat front
    Like a pug nose;
    Its engine stored
    Under the hump.

    In Spring, we let down the windows
    To feel the breeze;
    Each seat held three
    Kids on the route.

    When this bus broke down, the garage
    Sent an old one
    With three long seats
    Down the middle.

    One day a girl fell on the floor
    With a seizure;
    Help was nearby
    To take her home.

    Some days our chatter got noisy;
    The bus driver
    Would pull over
    Until we got quiet.

    Once or twice, I fought the bullies
    Ripped a button
    Off Harry's shirt;
    Argued with Steve.

    Riding the bus provided a time
    To laugh and share
    Secrets with my
    Friends and cousins.


    Central School

    My first school was a primary;
    Brick, square building
    With four rooms up
    And six downstairs.

    I was in a combination
    Class for first grade;
    There were a few
    Second graders.

    I listened to their spelling words;
    Not borrowing,
    Counted backwards
    In subtraction.

    I read their books; so did Sara Ann;
    We were promoted
    To the third grade
    For the next year.

    The bathrooms were in the basement;
    Cousin Jane caught
    My sister's hand
    In a stall door.

    Having no cafeteria,
    We took our lunch
    To school in small
    Brown paper bags.

    There was an auditorium
    Upstairs for plays,
    Chapel programs,
    And music class.

    The principal was an old maid;
    A stern figure;
    My heart beat fast
    Whenever I saw her.

(Continues...)


Excerpted from Journey Home by Shirley D. Jones Copyright © 2011 by Shirley D. Jones. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Contents

The Farm....................1
The Old House....................2
Unlucky Fourth....................3
A Tale of Two Trees....................4
Apple Orchard....................5
Flowers on the Farm....................6
Cats in Flowers....................8
Foggy and Sure....................9
The Necessary House....................10
Granny's Two-Seater....................11
For Ladies Only....................12
Cool Water....................13
Adding On....................14
Of Ghosts and Such....................16
Family Heroine....................17
Autumn on the Farm....................18
Hurricane Hazel....................19
Catching the Bus....................20
Central School....................22
The Playground....................24
My First Two Poems....................25
Davis Eyes....................26
Daddy....................27
Vera....................28
Shorty....................29
Revival....................30
Brunswick Stew....................31
Bessie and Bennie....................32
Fried Apple Pies....................34
Jam, Jelly, and Preserves....................35
Canning and Freezing....................36
Mason Jars....................37
Aprons....................38
Quilting....................39
Embroidery and Crocheting....................41
The Singer Sewing Machine....................42
Tractors....................44
The Fields....................45
The Homestead....................46
The Grapevine....................47
The Smokehouse....................48
The Hen House....................49
The Red Tobacco Barn....................50
The Little Green Barn....................51
The Pack House....................52
The Stripping Room....................53
The Feed House....................54
The Corn Crib....................55
The Log Cabin....................56
The Life of a Pet Pig....................57
Feeding Time....................58
The Livestock....................59
Churning Butter....................60
Hog Killing....................61
Three Family Legends....................63
The Watkins Salesman....................64
Easter in 1955....................65
Cousins....................66
Exiled from the Table....................68
Family Dinners at Grandmother's....................69
Sunday Afternoons....................71
The Brooks Whisker....................72
Homecoming at Church....................73
Family Reunion....................74
Thanksgiving....................75
Christmas on the Farm....................77
Looking for Santa....................79
Wonders of Winter....................81
Mother's Smile....................83
Journey Home....................85
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