Around the Barn, Poems to Think About

By M.A. Walter A. Wheat

One might say that Around the Barn is a befitting title for a book written by an author who spent his childhood out

• Language: English
• Publisher: Authors' Tranquility Press
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958554258

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Copyright © 2022 by Walter A. Wheat, M.A

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Walter A. Wheat, M.A/Author’s Tranquility Press

2706 Station Club Drive SW

Marietta, GA 30060

www.authorstranquilitypress.com

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the address above.

Around the Barn/Walter A. Wheat, M.A

Hardback: 978-1-958554-23-4

Paperback: 978-1-958554-24-1

eBook: 978-1-958554-25-8

Contents

Often You Will See Me

Why Do You Ask?

Why I’m Here Today

I Did Something Wrong Today

Being Somewhat Adept

Well, No Wonder

Driving Home Tonight

Wishing

Dogs Go to Heaven, Don’t They?

Today, I Missed Church

If

Good Morning!

A Procession for Me

Not a Summer Morning

And How is the Weather There?

Christmas Vacation

That Same Hand

About Feeling Special

I Remember That Time

I Remembered Jack

What is Going On?

Fish Heads for Christmas

Flying for Fun

From An Old Veteran

They’re Probably Having Picnics

See the Teenager with That Long Hair?

Would You Hire Them?

A Shelter from the Wind

A Thank You Would Be Nice

About Feeling Special

An Excursion to Somewhere

An Irish Cat!

Fall Weather

On Top of this Mountain

At the Risk

How Big Was That Fish?

It Was Time

Tell Me, What’s Wrong with That?

The Man Who Was Missing a Toe

I’m Just Missing You

Dreams for Sale

A Better Time

What’s Important to Me

There Was a Magic Table

What the Chaplain Told Me

Be Careful, Young Traveler

Fall Will Soon Be Coming

In My Spare Time

Money in the Offering Plate

He Will Let You Back In

Why Ask Me?

Heaven Soup

That Package

Sometimes I Look Back

A Ball of String

If My Heart Could Talk

Looking for Nice

The Faces Will Tell You

Watching the Sky and Praying

How the Wind Did Blow

It Feels Like Christmas

Careful Driver

Just Checking In

Those Three Birds

Digging a Hole

Walk on, Dear Christian

Drinking Tea

Of Course

Heaven’s Acres

In Our Town There Ain’t No News

Is There Anything You Would Say?

No, I’m Not an Expert

Inevitable

Catching Lightning Bugs

This Old Shack

No Abstract Here

Nine Hours

No Mistake!

A Place for Me

Right This Very Minute

Welcomed

Be Gone!

My House is Full of Holes

Just to the Right

I Am Going to take a Ride

Turning in My Notice

Those Kids

My Technical Rest

Dad Raccoon

Fear of Anything

Six Kitties

Yes It’s Time

From Here

I Will Be Your Brother (But I Won’t Be Your Dad)

Sorry, This One’s On You!

Allegiance of the Polite and the Serene!

Where I’d Rather Be

One-Thousand Dollar Bail

Those Boys of Mine

A Day with the Birds

GUARANTEE?

Thank You, Dear!

There is Always Someone Like That

I Want to Tell You

If it’s Good Enough for Jesus

Of Travel

Were I to Close my Eyes

Words are No Advantage

My Toddler Son

Jesus Will

Time For Fishin’

Yes, Son

It is Your Decision

So This is the World?

Could You Help Me?

Our Storm

When We Walk On

Devil, Go Away!

Bring the Verdict to me, Judge

I Won’t be Wandering Very Far

The Past is History

What Can We Do?

The Church Bells Chimed

If I Had Only Been There

Cast Your Vote for Jesus!

Which Direction Shall I Take?

Let’s Make No Mistake!

If I Only Could

Old Satan

I Can’t Believe What I Heard

What is Going On?

A Man Holding Up a Sign

I Thought I Saw You Looking

Advice from an Uncle

On One Hand

The Twi-Light of My Life

That Sycamore Tree

Persnickety

Growing Victim

Confirmation from a Cow

I Am Remembering the Time

Might I Suggest?

What I Have Here is One Dollar

Just Yonder, Over There

The Right Bait

How Life Would Be

If You Are My Friend

Satan, I do not Accept You

I Brag Not

I May Write a Book

Never to Volunteer

Stubbed Your Toe

Remember Whose House You’re In

My Worry List

About the Author

Often You Will See Me

Often you will see me

Writing poetry during the night

The quiet and the darkness

Bring new ideas to light

It seems to add contentment

By using the art of words

And using verbiage in the proper way

Compares to the singing of the birds!

During the days, when I am working

I can hardly think at all

I cannot complete a stanza

And the meter I must forestall

At nights, I think of flowers

Or snow upon the lawn

My thoughts are pure romantic

And they stay that way till dawn.

I think about my wife at home

Getting by as best she can

I wish that I could tell her

That I am one lucky man

But words have their limitations

And it’s hard for me to reveal

How much I really love her …

Or how I really feel.

If I could buy her flowers

Each day of the week

I doubt that it would matter …

I’d prefer to kiss her on the cheek

If money were the ticket

I’d give her all I had

I’d swim across the ocean

If that would make her glad!

Of many things, I am awkward

I just don’t know what to say

Poetry gives me the freedom

To wile some time away

But words are of little value

Around the ones you love

In my mind though, I’ve done my best

And I remember to thank the Lord above!

Walter A. Wheat

Why Do You Ask?

Here is a present I am giving to you

There may be another before I am through

I know very little, I am not good at a lot

So, I write poetry because it’s all that I’ve got

It is hard to say Hi from so far away

Yet, I am wishing there may come a day

When you will be happy to call me a friend

On good friends today, it is hard to depend.

There is no ulterior motive on which I rely

As a giver, I would give you the earth and the sky But,

I must deal in the reality …

Sometimes there are friendships that are just meant to be

Do you think I’m on base when I give you that nod?

For we are brothers and sisters who worship in God!

There is nothing phony in the way I approach

I use Jesus, my Savior, to act as my coach.

Why should you ask … couldn’t you just agree?

That poetry serves as a comfort for me

I have no reason to bear false witness, that’s true

I sincerely wish there was more I could do

I’ll try lending a hand if the path is too steep

I will open my Bible, if the subject’s too deep

I will not look down upon those in despair …

I will defer to Jesus when I need extra care.

I was once asked: What is it you gain?

Not once, was I asked: Why don’t you refrain?

From sending words that have meaning to only a few

So, I ask myself: "What is it that Jesus would do?"

Some people sing to make their time go

Others tell stories about the things that they know

Can’t I merely be happy in sending a rhyme

That may linger in your memory for a very long time?

Walter A. Wheat

Dec. 1, 2018

Why I’m Here Today

If you are wondering why I’m here today

I will explain as best I can

I am here to serve our Master

Who is the Father of all man

He has the power to create storms

Or, to let things move along

And there are other reasons

Where He helps to keep me strong.

I do not ask questions

Nor do I hesitate

If that is what God is asking, then

For me, that is just great.

For, I sense Jesus is by my side

In each endeavor that I try

I will never insult Him

By asking where or why.

I am here as a disciple

Who is spreading the Word of God

There may be other challenges

That non-Christians think is odd

I am thinking about our future

When I speak of life or death

I will follow Gods’ path of righteousness

Until I take my final breath.

And, when I use the word final

Please try to understand

That I am prepared for Heaven

Because I know it will be grand!

My presence here is temporary …

I do not mean the end

I am here to serve our Master

Knowing Jesus will always be our friend.

Walter A. Wheat

Dec. 5, 2018

I Did Something Wrong Today

I did something wrong today …

I took our Savior’s name in vain

What is it, Lord that I can do …

From this behavior, I hope to refrain

I made a promise to God above

That I would honor Him and obey

And, I have tried my hardest

Knowing He will come back, some day.

The Lord said "Do not worry

I know each thing you do

Follow me in prayer, my friend, then

Your troubles will be few!

Everyone is entitled to the gifts

That are sent to us by God.

It is only human to make mistakes …

Please don’t think your case is odd!"

God says: "We are forgiven for

The sins that we have made.

The slate has been wiped clean, and

Your troubles will soon fade

You are made in Gods’ holy image, and

He forgives us all.

You have fought back against old Satan, and

You responded to your Masters’ call.

Heaven will be waiting, and

I know I’ll be there soon

I will welcome that bright morning

Knowing, from Satan, I’ll be immune

I will follow Christ, our Savior …

While asking forgiveness for things I’ve done

I know He will welcome me into Heaven, and

I’ll meet Jesus, His only son.

Walter A. Wheat

Dec. 3, 2018

Being Somewhat Adept

Being somewhat adept at writing words

I do think that I am finally there

To write a poem about God above

When, before I just would not dare.

For I did not think it was worth my while

To scratch out something with paper and pen

I’d let the others hasten their ways, but

I thought I knew everything, then.

I was mostly adept at challenging His name

While running the other way.

I was warned of a time when Jesus would come, but

I did not think that it was today.

For years, I was told to believe in our Lord

And to honor His Holy name

But, I paid no attention for I did not care

About anything but fortune and fame.

And I drove around town in a big fancy car

And wore clothes that were tailored to fit

I looked down upon the hungering mobs

Yet, I prospered in spite of it.

In being somewhat adept at looking around

I learned to shun folks with my nose in the