The Simple Things

By Brenda Roberts

BIOGRAPHY

Brenda Roberts lives in the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains, in Maryville, Tennessee, with her husband of 46 years. They have one son and two grand girls. She enjoys having coffee on their covered front porch and taking in the beautiful view of four mountain ranges in the distance. As an Air Force wife, she accompanied her husband over 30 years of travel throughout the United States and Overseas. Raised in East Tennessee, she comes from a loving family of seven children.

Brenda has always loved poetry and has written many poems on scratch paper throughout her life. She often shared her poems with family and friends and was encouraged to take them out of her green plastic folder and publish them. Her poems are her story, life experiences and memories of family and friends. The poems were mostly written after she was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease in 2005. Often she could not sleep at night so she would try and write and found that it helped her to relax.

This book of poems is important to Brenda and is her gift to leave as memories of her life story of family and friends. She hopes that those who read her poems will conjure up fond memories, laughter, joy, encouragement and excitement to the reader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781468507126

Brenda Roberts

Brenda Roberts lives in the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains, in Maryville, Tennessee, with her husband of 46 years. They have one son and two grand girls. She enjoys having coffee on their covered front porch and taking in the beautiful view of four mountain ranges in the distance. As an Air Force wife, she accompanied her husband over 30 years of travel throughout the United States and Overseas. Raised in East Tennessee, she comes from a loving family of seven children. Brenda has always loved poetry and has written many poems on scratch paper throughout her life. She often shared her poems with family and friends and was encouraged to take them out of her green plastic folder and publish them. Her poems are her story, life experiences and memories of family and friends. The poems were mostly written after she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2005. Often she could not sleep at night so she would try and write and found that it helped her to relax. This book of poems is important to Brenda and is her gift to leave as memories of her life story of family and friends. She hopes that those who read her poems will conjure up fond memories, laughter, joy, encouragement and excitement to the reader.

Book preview

LIFE IN THE SOUTH

BEFORE YOU COME TO TENNESSEE

THERE’S A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW.

THAT WE DON’T RUSH, TRY NOT TO CUSS

AT LEAST TILL YOU’VE SAID HELLO.

WE LIKE OUR TRUCKS, AND LOVE OUR DOGS

CAUSE THEY ARE MAN’S BEST FRIEND.

IF YOU TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT

YOU CAN RIDE IN THE FRONT WITH THEM.

NOW WE WERE BORN IN THE SOUTH

THAT’S WHY WE SAY YOU’ALL.

WE CALL YOU HONEY, SPEND YOUR MONEY

EACH TIME YOU COME TO CALL.

WE MIGHT WORK OR JUST TAKE OFF

AND LEAVE YOU IN A MESS.

WHEN YOUR ROOF GETS DONE OR YOUR SWIMM’N POOL IS IN

IS ANYBODY’S GUESS.

CAUSE FISH’N IS MORE IMPORTANT TO US

THAN YOU MIGHT CARE TO KNOW.

SO COME ON DOWN AND BRING YOUR ROD

TO THE LOCAL FISH’N HOLE.

WE INVITE YOU TO CHURCH

AND HOPE THAT YOU’ALL WILL COME.

STAY AND SING’N AND DINNER ON THE GROUND

AND JOIN US IN SOME FUN.

WE WORK IN THE GARDEN AND RAISE OUR FOOD

AND SHARE IT WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.

AND IN THE FALL WHEN HE KILLS HIS HOG

HE MORE THAN RETURNS THE FAVOR.

SOUTHERNERS LOVE TO SHARE THEIR FOOD

AND BAR-B-QUE HERE IS KING.

WE BAKE IT, SMOKE IT AND GRILL IT

TILL IT’S TOUGH AS ANYTHING.

WE COOK DIFFERENT, EAT MANY THINGS

THAT OTHERS MIGHT DEEM STRANGE.

WE HUNT, FISH AND TRAP OUR FOOD

AND WASH IT IN THE SPRINGS.

NOW BLUEGRASS IS OUR MUSIC OF CHOICE

THERE’S NOTHING ELSE BY FAR.

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOU CAN’T REPLACE

THE MANDOLIN, BANJO, FIDDLE AND OLE GUITAR.

NOW WE WILL HELP WHEN THERE’S A NEED

OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR KIN.

BUT IF THE NEED IS JUST GREED

THEY NEED NOT ASK AGAIN.

FOUR-WHEEL’N IS A GREAT PAST TIME

WHICH MOST CANNOT AFFORD.

SO WHEN WE RIDE IT

WE TAKE CARE AND PARK IT NEAR OUR DOOR.

WE’RE SET IN OUR WAYS AND HARD TO CHANGE

THE OLDER WE BECOME.

BUT WE HAVE MORALS AND SHOW RESPECT

TO ALMOST EVERYONE.

SO JUST REMEMBER WHEN YOU COME

YOU’RE SURE TO FIND A FRIEND.

AND WHEN WE VISIT YOU UP NORTH

WE’RE HAPPY TO GET HOME AGAIN!

STRENGTH

The God that supplies all of our needs

and knows our every care.

will hold you close at this difficult time

as others lift you in prayer.

He is only a whisper away

in the day or when the night falls.

and when our hearts hurt He is especially near

and waiting to take all your calls.

Now take comfort in the friends in your life

and family nearby to give aid.

This is God’s design and His love for you

and provisions for the choices you’ve made.

THE BIG DAY

It was a hot, humid, rainy day,

On that Summer day in May.

The drive from my place to the church really wasn’t far, but my heart raced.

and then began to sink when I didn’t see his car.

Just two weeks from a tonsillectomy

he looked thin and maybe even pale.

but he was there, dressed in new suit,

and sent me word, the car was as well.

Friends had written, he might but she won’t

on the side of his old Opal blue.

but she would when she could and from

that day forward she has always been ever true.

He met her mom for the first time

and her little brother a few days before.

and like me she was convinced he was the one

the minute he walked through the door.

This day mother was dressed in a yellow suit

with a yellow hat on her head.

which got exchanged for her picnic lunch

on boarding the greyhound