Beary Tales Episodes 25-33, Poet's Notes

Note to Readers of Previous Versions: There are so many new vignettes scattered throughout the poem that I hope you will reread the whole thing! There are new GEMS, improvements to previous verses and improved footnotes as well! Trust me! 25. My Lovely Tree Fort God save my tree fort that’S high up in our elm, There'S board seat on tree "Y" thirty feet above ground, One IS high above roofs when he climbs to this realm, And a foe'S in for trouble, who dares come around. There'S crate full of clods (grader tore from dirt street), (11) Smiling Bear high in tree IS quite hard to get down, Distant ammo supply IS a cinch to defeat, Throwing up'S sign you're ill, bombers all win a crown! 26. Castles in Spain Mom's love IS a "castle" we build in backyard, All our building material'S trash from Dad's store. Large appliance crates saved; what IS left to discard? After doors, windows cut, there'S playhouse to explore. Each panel'S wood framed, so they're easy to craft, There IS doghouse for Tippy; Bear gets private door, Our sloped ceiling? It’S rainproofed, has vents front and aft, And the brick laid in patio now IS our floor. 27. Go Fly A Kite! What heart of a child IS not thrilled by a kite? You feel part of YOU’S flying with feet on the ground! The design ISn’t crucial, small bears get it right, Bear Twin’s kite ISn’t great, but rag tail makes it sound! Where’S kite that plays music? Now that would be treat! Perhaps sound that’S a summons to ‘BATMAN’ (not light)! (12) Bear could signal his friends, say there’S dance in the street, (Where the music of party IS “Bear Twins” new kite.) 28. The Fourth of July Why IS it explosions make most males see stars? ‘July Fourth’ IS so “cool” to Boy; Bear thinks it'S “hot!” Folger’s can (13) IS in air seeking passage to Mars, Lucky ant den'S a blast in our neighbor's back lot. Bear watches from sidelines; he'S shy to get hurt, Though he'd like longer legs so that speed IS a choice, He’S excited when Cherry Bombs fill air with dirt, But he'S sweetest on Sparklers that make kids rejoice. 29. 'Boiling Springs' A State Park near home’S a place Bear loves to go, There’S small pool that'S enclosed, a spring surges on whim, Sand IS white at pool's bottom and boils with the flow, Water feeds a small stream to a lake where kids swim. There'S "Blue Belly" lizard to spur youthful hearts, Rifle range cliff IS kid's dig for bullets galore, It'S such fun to leap off, land and roll where sand starts, Deer and turkeys "must see," this trip'S never a bore 30. "Act Your Age!" It'S what people say, "Adult must act adult!" One IS tempted to smile and say, "Boy, that'S a laugh!" But if opposite'S asked and youth’S under assault, IS the parent forgiving, or not see his gaffe? The fact someone speaks ISn't proof that one’s heard, The bear twins need critique, but abuse still IS fact, It'S too easy for big folk to say youth’S absurd, Though adult'S unaware, he provokes the child's act. 31. Firefly Magic Spring's firefly’S ecstatic celestial bard, For its passionate pulse IS a troubadour’s song, And Bear Johnston IS floored by the stars in our yard, It seems light flash IS whisper akin to birdsong. (2-6) It’S Grandma’s idea, “Let’s catch some in jar!”, One’S to catch them; one holds them (my, how numbers grew), For us 'having' IS better than 'catching,' by far, And to sleep with night sky under bed sheets IS new. 32. Putting Out the Trash (After Dark) To put out the trash after sun's light IS gone: Total darkness beneath elm when foliage IS full! So I whistle a tune, IS life's lease overdrawn? It'S "BLACK OP" through our backyard, and that IS no bull! Bear'S left in the house for the bag needs two hands, But my plan'S not to hurry; afraid to show fright! IS the end of my tune, ‘FLARE’ (14) that Mom understands? Lead-pipe cinch no boy'S free of things "bumping" at night. 33. Bear's Song “I think I'm a bear who'S especially blessed, For I woke up one day - THERE'S THIS BOY in my life! It'S for sure, don't deserve him, and this truth confessed, Nor can tell you his ‘presence’ means life'S free of strife.” “If ‘GOD’ IS ‘provision for life’ He exists, While our actions may fail us, HE'S THERE! That's my song, Though man tries to say meaning IS what he resists, You can take this to Bank! There'S a place YOU belong!” Poet's Notes: (2-6) Firefly Lights – The light flashed by a firefly is a special signal used to attract a mate. So it is like the firefly is singing to his girlfriend, but the "voice" that the Firefly uses to speak to her is not sound but a flashing light. (11) A dirt grader is a big noisy machine that is used to make a dirt street smooth again after it rains, or a road becomes rough for example. (12) In the Batman comic books of my childhood, the police would shine a “BAT” symbol on the clouds above to signal ‘BATMAN’ that his help was needed. But what if the sun is shining or if there are no clouds. Do the criminals go free? It would be much better for the Batman Signal to be a sound that only Batman could hear! (13) Folger’s "Coffee Can" – A Folger's "Coffee Can" was the gold standard for measuring the power of a firecracker when I was a child. You put the firecracker you want to test on the ground, light it, put the coffee can on top of it, and then RUN! The more powerful the firecracker, the higher in the air the can will go! (14) This verse is an actual memory. Though I was afraid of the dark in my sizeable backyard, I comforted myself with the fantasy that if I whistled all the way to the garbage can and back, there was at least a chance that Mom might rescue me if something grabbed me and the whistling stopped! No more sound would be like a warning “FLARE” to tell her I was in trouble. Poem Continues in Part V, Episoodes 34-37