In the Summer time…when I was young,
When flowers were in full bloom;
We’d pick a lot of hollyhocks,
And, do things to push back the gloom.

We would go into the cow barn,
Way up…into the hay loft;
This was a grand place to play,
We’d sit on pillows made of hay…so soft!

Then, we would take a blossom,
And, turning it upside-down;
It became a beautiful and sweeping,
A lovely flower-gown.

A short piece of straw…inserted,
Became a dancer’s tiny waist;
And, a hollyhock bud…not opened,
Would become her head…her face.

We girls could play for hours,
Pretending to be at a grand ball;
Round and round…we would dance,
Hardly remembering the rain at all!

In the Winter…things were different,
There were chores to be done;
Back to the hay loft…we would go,
But, no time now…for any fun!

Pole beans had been harvested,
They were then stored…to dry;
Rainy days were put to good use,
A lot to be done…by you and I.

We would sit there for hours,
‘Shelling the beans’…it was called;
The pods became very hard…when dry,
And, very difficult to be opened.

It was hard on soft, young hands,
To pop them and release the beans;
But, when baked all day long,
Almost heavenly…they seemed!

There’s always something to do,
When ‘RAINY DAYS’ come our way;
Just keep busy…that’s it,
Turn the grey…into a sunshine day!

********

May 25, 2004

Aimee Love
(LHG)