The Gist of Life Ain’T What It Was Book 2

By Robert Perdue

The Gist of Life Ain't What It Was is a trip through the life experience of an ordinary man who has seen times change through the Depression Era, World War II, and beyond . Bob describes life's ups and downs through poetry, sometimes humerous and sometimes sobering but always entertaining.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781479743285

Robert Perdue

My career began when my life began, on April 21, 1925 in a small hamlet in WV called Mead Poca, long since absorbed by Mullens and renamed South Mullens. At my age 5 we moved to a farm atop a mountain to the south called Gobler’s Knob; our mailing address became Tralee, WV; now that, too has been deleted. At my age 12, our family relocated again, this time moving to Roanoke, Va. My experience includes high school at William Fleming High in Roanoke; 3-years in the US Navy; Roanoke College in Salem, Va.; VA Tech in Blacksburg, Va. My interest in writing grew from a vital interest in words; i.e. writing in poetic form fascinated me; this book is the product.

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Copyright © 2012 by Robert Perdue.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012920643

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4797-4327-8

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4797-4326-1

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4797-4328-5

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.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

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www.Xlibris.com

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123585

Contents

A Man And His Son

A NEIGHBOR’S TALE

A Prayer At Christmas

A Strange Bird, The Pelican

A VANISHING ART

Before The Sunset

An Ode To John Deere

Birthday Cards

CALAMITY!

Dad’s Reply On Father’s Day

Dingbats In Media

Don’t Weep At My Demise

Ego, Texas Style

FAMILIAL

Fred Is The Message

Festival

HOSPICE

HOMILETICS

I Wonder What Today Might Bring

Ignorance

Indignation

It’s For Sale

It’s The House of Beamer

Late Life Marriage

Lawyers

Life By The Rules

Life’s A Hassle

Linda Gayle

Man & His Mate

LOOK WHO FLEECES THE WORKING MAN

MODERN COFFEE POTS

Men in Dotage

MYTHICAL FATES OF ANOTHER DAY

Nary A Morsel

Nicholas Carlyle Piescienski

On The Death of Dignity

OTTO

Our Hannah Tree

Pretty Woman

Professionalism

RESURRECTION

SUFFER THE CHILDREN…

THANKSGIVING (Was) VITAL

The End of Time

The Man In Your Life

The Mind Of Man

THE PREACHER AND THE PROPHET

The Working Man’s Dilemma

To My Life’s Companion

TV Fare Is Slop

Tom T. Hall

Undertow

WE HAVE A DUTY

What’s A Man

When The Dogwood Blooms

WHEN THE WAX RING FAILS

When The Winter Turns To Spring

Wisdom

The Message Is God’s Promise

Justice? Forsooth!

It’s A Sale

The Plight of a Snowman

Tidbits At Christmas

Solitary

SANTA CLAUS RAN LATE THAT DAY

In Later Life

Talkin’ Ain’t Learnin’

Humble Men

Nostalgia

A Fact of Life

Monkey Business

Of Modern Fizzles

Of Nanners And Things

Of Spiders And Bears

SLOGANS

The Spider and The Fly

Thinking Aloud

To Fame And Fortune

Tourism’s A Burden

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A Man And His Son

by Robert Perdue

A man and his son and an aging ol’ dog

went over the creek by a shaky foot log.

At first it appears they’re fooling around,

but why would they take a decrepit ol’ hound?

The man and his son both loved the ol’ hound,

for years they’d enjoyed his being around.

But now the ol’ dog’s not nearly so quick

as he was long ago when his mane was still thick.

They’d go for a hike in the woods all day;

’twas always a pleasure, together that way.

The dog’s equal partner to the man and his son,

and a hike in the woods was their favorite fun.

Time passes swift’, now the son’s grown and gone;

the dog’s passed away, and the man walks alone.

Extra effort is needed to see through the fog—

a man and his son and an aging ol’ dog.

By a low earthen mound on a windswept hill

There’s a graven message—it’s solemn and still:

Lord let me see, as I watch o’er the bog,

a man and his son and an aging ol’ dog.

******************************************

This was written, with much feeling, for my son

at the time of his fortieth birthday, February 23, 1996.

********************************************

(c) copyright February 23, 1996, Robert C. Perdue

A NEIGHBOR’S TALE

by Robert Perdue

My neighbor told me, My life is the pits;

I wonder sometimes, Should I call it quits?

My friend complained, he sang a sad song;

It’s message was, I’ve been married too long.

When a man makes his choice and there’s no way out,

He’s told what to do, and it’s useless to pout.

Consider most things in a man’s later life . . . ,

he needs a good dog and a pretty good wife.

Nature makes rules for men to live by.

If a man’s not content, there are things he might try.

When a man knows himself, and is honest in his deeds,

then a dog and his wife are the