The fifth of July was my mom’s 70th birthday. Happy Birthday Mom…this one’s for you.
An Ode to Mom
(written for
Mom’s 70th birthday party at Reed Ranch on the prairie near Foraker, OK)
the day
that Shirley Ann
Long entered the fray.
Born to Alvin and
Anna Pearl
she was their
youngest, bright-eyed girl.
She attended school
at ol’ Central High
and gave TU the ol’
College Try.
Her beauty and
charm made all the boys cry,
and as fate would
have it was Sweetheart…Sigma Chi.
Her date that
evening was a fellow named Don.
His white dinner
jacket, a stroke of élan.
Her stunning beauty
tied the guys into pretzels
but her heart
belonged to the boy with the freckles.
They came together
in marriage on the 28th of May
and soon after came
Mike, Kelly, Sally and Clay.
They were raised
instilled with the pioneer spirit
to follow His voice
whenever they’d hear it.
The Spirit led them
to Shepherd’s Fold Ranch.
Who could believe
they’d take such a chance
but they moved
there and tried there and cried there and all
the kids were
destined to take up the Call.
At night as they
listened to the beat of the pump and
the night birds and
hoot owls and crickets all jumpin’;
they lay there and
pledged their lives to the Cause;
to God and His
Spirit, His Word and His Laws.
They toiled and
they labored and they planted the vineyard
and the fruit came
and they prospered and prolonged their tenure.
Madge and Padge
moved to Tulsa
and continued their Calling.
More fruit came,
more blessings, more grandbabies bawling.
The autumn came,
the nights grew cold and the leaves began to fall
and it was time for
Don to go—he’d given life his all.
He was buried that
day under a beautiful oak tree
but his memory
lives on through his kids and their kids and loving Shirley.
Her life took off
now, like a hot air balloon loosed.
She teaches and
travels and offers a boost
to all those she
mentors, to all those she loves,
to all those she
cares about, some with pulls, some with shoves.
She’s amazing
woman, this mother of mine;
her matchless
example of walking the line.
She’s a mother,
she’s a teacher, she’s a mentor and friend.
She’s a giant, a
fortress, ever-ready to mend.
I spent the first
months of life deep inside her.
She bore me and
raised me and taught wrong from right-er.
My mistakes are my
own but my strengths are from she;
The nut never falls
very far from the tree.
So here we are to
mark the day
That Shirley Ann
Long entered the fray.
She’s humble, she’s
hot, she’s so sweet and heavenly.
I still can’t
believe that she’s almost seventy!
© 2005
June 3, 2005
Mike I love this line. My mistakes are my own but my strengths are from she;
The nut never falls very far from the tree.
Happy Birthday Shirley!
Wow Mike. And why aren’t you writing for a living? God’s gifts are pretty clear.
right-er. love the poem… it’s awesome.