Shriek While You Can!

By Ted W. Johnson

This poetry collection is divided into six sections by subject, placed in the following order: Humor, Family, Reflections, Nature, Adventures, and Livi. Livi is my young granddaughter.
These poems all relate my feelings about actual events. I have attempted to write clearly enough for the readers to feel what I felt as I wrote these poems. In doing so, I purposely used much descriptive language detailing what I saw with my eyes and with my heart.
I sincerely hope you enjoy reading all of the poems in this collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503552869

Ted W. Johnson

Ted W. Johnson was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. He graduated from Oregon State University in Corvallis in 1980. He recently retired after a 34-year career in accounting and financial analysis. Mr. Johnson and his wife, Betsy, enjoyed raising three active children, who are now adults. They are also the doting grandparents of one grandchild named Livi. Mr. Johnson did almost no poetry writing until he and his wife took a land tour and sea cruise of Alaska in 2008. Since that trip, he has enjoyed writing hundreds of poems. The Johnsons now live in Salem, Oregon.

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Copyright © 2015 by Ted W. Johnson.

ISBN:      Softcover         978-1-5035-5287-6

                eBook               978-1-5035-5286-9

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.

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Rev. date: 03/13/2015

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Contents

Shriek While You Can

Fit For A King (or a Dork)

Magnetic Personality

Gracefully Done

A Perfect 10?

My Noodle and Me In the Sea

Scootering Down South

D River’s dee Place

Skip To the Loo

Spring?

Family Reunion Ending

Fired Up

The Joys of Parenting

Parenting Adventures

A Father’s Feelings

Being a Dad

Father’s Love

A Mother’s Work

You’re Kidding

Merry Christmas

Living Day to Day

Of Shoe Shines and Smiles

Small World

Quito Musings

Celebrations In Two Nations

Old Dogs and New Tricks

The Face In The Mirror

Remembering the Day

Seasons of Life

Reflections

Waves of Memories

Warm Thoughts

Calmed By the Crashing Sea

Reaching Out and Taking In

Crashing, Yet Calming

Airport Musings

Making Memories

Happy New Year!

Coping

In My Opinion

Someone May Actually Be Listening

Scooting Intermittently

Little Things

Feasting and Resting

What Time Is It?

Time

Thankful

Independence Day

Valentine’s Day

Thanksgiving

A Day in June

Whale Cove Inn

Peaceful Sunset

Whale of a Sunset

Mountain Sunset

Sunrise, Sunset at Cabo

Peaking Into Heaven

Calm Morning So Inviting

I Smell Something Fishy

Skies Delightful

Oregon Scenes

Mount Haleakala

Serenity By The Sea

Whale of a Good Time

Two Worlds

I Got in a Scrape

Swimming With a Sea Turtle

The Character of New Orleans

Sights for Eager Eyes

Fight or Flight or Prayer

Mississippi River

Dining Down In Baja

The Road to Hana

Alaska Cruising

Picturesque Sea

Blended in? No Way

Mount Denali

Fogarty Creek

Tragedy Averted – Barely

The Old Man in The Sea

Fireworks and Sunsets

Freezing Fun

Tuesday Coasting

A Dip for a Dip

Go jump in a Lake (Scout)

A Loon In The Ocean

At the Zoo

Once Upon An Afternoon Sweaty

Marathon Birthday

Bizchottos Muy Bueno!

Sky High Near Quito

Ingapirca

Hat Shopping in Cuenca

My First Grandchild

Livi Loud and Lively

Loving You, Livi

Best Buddies

Livi In Pink

Give Thanks For Livi

Talk and Roll Musings

Two-Fisted Eater

The Belle of the Ball

The Belle With the Ball

Good Taste in Sand

Livi, You’re A Trooper!

Livi’s Snow Ready

Shriek While You Can

L ivi’s mom says she’s practicing

Her rolling, back to front

I hear she’s getting good

At the stunt

I saw her practicing

Ten days ago

She had lots to say

When she got stuck on her tummy

And couldn’t find a way

To move forward or back over

Now, I hear she’s shrieking

With joy or satisfaction

Or who knows what

When she gets to her front

I want to say

That I’m all in favor of shrieking

Whether in joy or frustration

When in an exciting

Or stuck situation

You can shriek without consequence

When you’re young and innocent

So I hope Livi shrieks up a storm

Before she grows up

And has to conform

With big people norms

Fit For A King (or a Dork)

W hen the two employees arrived

To move my keyless ride

To the resort lobby

I tried and tried to save my pride

The two guys brought a mobile

Clothing and luggage rack

Onto which they loaded the scooter

So far, it seemed like a reasonable plan of attack

For moving the disabled car

I said I’d walk behind

As they pushed the rack with the scooter

But me they wouldn’t mind

Being overly helpful and kind

They insisted repeatedly

That I sit on the scooter on the rack

So they could push it and me back

To the lobby

With much reluctance

I sat on the throne

Like a maharajah

On a decked-out elephant

I’m certain I looked elegant

Staring at the ground

Hoping few people were around

As we approached the lobby

I became aware

That there were lots of people there

Who all commenced to stare

At the Gringo on the chair!

My embarrassment in this situation

Was immediately dwarfed by the mortification

Of my wife, my daughter, and my eldest son

Who stared at the floor

Wishing to be disassociated from me

Forevermore!

I pled my case

To their downcast faces

Keenly aware of their disgrace

At the fancy resort place

At length, they believed my story

So things didn’t get gory

They didn’t execute me

Though I’m sure it crossed their minds