Who Am I: Short Stories in Rhyme

By Lloyd Hess

UNWANTED
First thing he remembered
was it being dark and cold.
He didnt know where he was
and he didnt know how old.
He didnt have an address
or a place that he called home.
From as long as he remembered
all he did was roam.
He was bullied and shoved around
almost every day
when all he really wanted
was just a place to stay.
It seemed like everyone he met
wanted to pick a fight
when the only need he had
was a place to sleep at night.
Sometimes he was shouted at
and told he was no good.
He was told he wasnt wanted
in their fine neighborhood.
They would call the authorities
on any given day
but he was getting street smart
and would simply run away.
He was not the only one
who was treated in this way.
There were many like him
who just lived from day to day.
When youre a dog someone loves
then everything seems ok
but things are so much different
when you are just a stray.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9781456830175

Lloyd Hess

The author is a retired Programmer/ Analyst. He started writing verse for his granddaughters in 1995. He has published many of his endevours in a local newspaper under the heading of ‘Grandpa’s corner’.

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by Lloyd Hess.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010918238

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4568-3016-8

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4568-3015-1

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4568-3017-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

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www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

UNWANTED

TWINS

SAM AND LARRY

A TRAGEDY UNFOLDS

AMBUSH

BORN IN THE GULF

CITY LIFE

DANGEROUS LADY

ERIC

FLOODED OUT

FROM CHINA

GRANDFATHER

HIGHWAY OBSERVER

INTERNATIONAL KILLERS

JUST A JOB

LOUIE

MISTREATED

THE CREATURE NEXT DOOR

ODD JOBS

NIGHT FLIGHT

POPULAR

SERIAL KILLER

STARES

THE FLOOD

THE TRAIN RIDE

WARM WEATHER RESIDENT

WHO WAS THAT MAN

WELCOME

A DIRTY JOB

A HELPER

A THRONE

ANCIENT

BUSY

CLARENCE

DESERT DWELLER

ENTER

FRIEND OR FOE

HALLOWEEN SPIDER

HARRY

HOLLYWOOD STAR

IMAGINE

JUST A FRIEND

LORELEI

MILLIONS

PRISONER

ON THE RUN

PRISONERS

SILENT SPY

SELECTED

SURPRISE

THE LAST RIDE

TREASURE HUNTER

USED

WAR

WHO IS THIS MAN

WASHED AWAY

A FOREST GIANT

A STICKY SITUATION

ANOTHER VIEWPOINT

BORDER

CLOSET MURDER

DIFFERENT

FANTASIES

FREDDIE

GLORIA

HENRY

HOLDING ON

JERRY

KNOWLEDGE

LUKE

MY HOME

NEGLECT

PARTNERS

POSTED

SILENCE

SMALL JOB

TEMPORARY RELEASE

THE HELPER

TRANSFORMED

UPS AND DOWNS

WALL

WHO AM I

YOUNGER WORKERS

A LONG JOURNEY

A YEARLY TRIP

BARNEY

ANOTHER VIEW

CAMPGROUND MENACES

COMMON

DISAPPEARING

FLOOD

WINTER RETREAT

GARDEN MONSTER

HE WASN’T SUPERMAN

HOUSEHOLD HELP

JOURNEY

LISTENING

LOVE STRUCK

MOVING EAST

OLD AND FEEBLE

PARTIES

PUSHED

SHIP PATROL

SPARKY

TAGGING ALONG

THE MONSTER

TRAIN WRECK

UNWANTED

WORN OUT

WHO AM I

UNWANTED

WITNESS

TIMMY AND SALLY

THE PET

THE CANYON RIM

SHIFTING

SPEEDER

PARADE

PUBLIC SERVANT

MYSTERY LAKE

OCEAN BORN

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

JOHNNY AND SAMMY

LIBRARY

IRONY

HIS TIME WAS UP

GROUNDED

IN THE END

FINDING A HOME

COLORFUL

DIRTY JOB

CHANGES

ADORED

BEFORE

FLASH FLOOD

A DESERT

WHAT’S MY LINE

A DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE

A NIGHT JOB

ABSOLUTE MONARCH

BILLY

CHANGES

DEADLY FORCE

DRIFTING

FLYERS

FRIEND OR FOE

GROTH

HIS LAST BATTLE

INVADERS

JOURNEY

LEONARD

MAN’S COMPANION

MY STORIES

ON TRACK

PILOT

SAMMY

SHARON

SOLDIERS

THE ANIMALS FRIEND

THE WALK

TRUE LOVE

UNDER THE BED

WILLIE

WELL LIKED

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO CHRISTINA

AND SARA COLLISON FOR WHOM THESE POEMS WERE

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN.

UNWANTED

First thing he remembered

was it being dark and cold.

He didn’t know where he was

and he didn’t know how old.

He didn’t have an address

or a place that he called home.

From as long as he remembered

all he did was roam.

He was bullied and shoved around

almost every day

when all he really wanted

was just a place to stay.

It seemed like everyone he met

wanted to pick a fight

when the only need he had

was a place to sleep at night.

Sometimes he was shouted at

and told he was no good.

He was told he wasn’t wanted

in their fine neighborhood.

They would call the authorities

on any given day

but he was getting street smart

and would simply run away.

He was not the only one

who was treated in this way.

There were many like him

who just lived from day to day.

When you’re a dog someone loves

then everything seems ok

but things are so much different

when you are just a stray.

TWINS

We had always been together

and we thought until the end.

Not only did he look like me

in fact he was my twin.

When one of us went somewhere

the other one wouldn’t stay.

We were seldom more than a step apart

if it was night or it was day.

One day we both were lying there

and we were really wet.

After jogging around an hour

we both were drenched with sweat.

Shortly after, we went swimming

and the water was really rough.

When it finally calmed a bit

I’m sure we’d had enough.

I remember lying there

and I was warm and dry.

He was not beside me

and I began to wonder why.

After the vigorous swim we had

he could not be found.

Since the water and been so rough

maybe he had drowned.

After I had lost him

my life was not the same.

I thought I might go out again

but that time never came.

I didn’t get much time to think

about what could have been.

When a sock has lost its mate

it’s never worn again.

SAM AND LARRY

Sam and Larry were a pair

and never far apart.

They were always partners

on any job they’d start.

They had handled brick and stone

and lots of other stuff.

They were in construction

where jobs are always tough.

They were there each morning

even in the rain or snow.

Just a half hour off for lunch

then back to work they’d go.

They’d had a couple of accidents

earlier in the year

but though their work was dangerous,

neither one showed fear.

Sam had fallen down two floors

but he hadn’t gotten hurt.

Larry had gotten a cut-up thumb

from a bottle in some dirt.

Some mornings both of them were stiff

but neither one showed pain.

Usually on the day before

they’d worked out in the rain.

They were both retired now.

They’d known they couldn’t last.

In this demanding line of work

one tends to wear out fast.

Neither one regretted this.

There was nothing they could say.

When you’re a pair of workman’s gloves

it happens just this way.

A TRAGEDY UNFOLDS

In the neighborhood where he was born

things were really bad.

His family always struggled

for what little bit they had.

His mother and father both were killed

before he was ever grown.

Both of them were murdered

in the only home he’d known.

He was on his own now.

He had no place to stay.

He couldn’t live here any more.

He had to move away.

He eventually found himself a mate

and finally settled down.

They move into an apartment

on the upscale side of town.

They hadn’t been there very long

till bad luck struck again.

They were being forced to move.

It seemed they couldn’t win.

He just couldn’t stand it

and was going to end it all.

He went up to the 35th floor

and arranged to have a fall.

He climbed out on the balcony

and jumped into space below

but instead of crashing down to earth

he seemed to fall quite slow.

He finally landed on the street

after his lengthy fall

but jumping from the 35th floor

don’t hurt a roach at all.

AMBUSH

They had lain in ambush

for almost half a day.

Their victim was totally unaware

and soon would pass this way.

Although they had no weapons

this was not a game.

This was wholly for revenge

and not to bring them fame.

The victim was much larger

and probably he was armed

but he was outnumbered ten to one

so they were not alarmed.

their victim wasn’t innocent

as someone might suppose

and he was truly dangerous

so they must stay on their toes.

This was not the first time

that both sides had met

and after their many battles

they weren’t victorious yet.

These were not just skirmishes

fought to keep your pride.

During battles in the past

some of them had died.

At last they heard him coming

and then he came in sight.

All of them broke ranks and fled.

Not one stayed to fight.

This was not just cowardice

that caused them all to flee.

A big black stalking tomcat

is a sight for mice to see.

BORN IN THE GULF

I was born down in the gulf

as summer came along.

It wasn’t very long at all

till I was big and strong.

I became a drifter

and slowly headed west.

Then I began to pick up speed.

The coastline was my quest.

Most people didn’t like me

and didn’t want me near.

Just the mention of my name

filled some folks with fear.

I became a TV star

and on the evening news.

As to where I’d visit next,

each station gave their views.

People who didn’t care at all

when I was born that day

packed all their belongings

and began to move away.

They