Take a Tour of Poet Gigi Ryan’s ‘Backyard’

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My Backyard 

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The Campfire

Elisha loves to build a fire;
His dog is near, she loves to watch
For birds that she will try to catch.
They each pursue their own desire—
One by her leaps, one with a match.

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The Dog House

The dog house over years has held
Not only pups but ducks and hens
And cats and kittens. One time when
The time came for our dog to whelp
She stayed there while she birthed her ten!

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The Birds

Around my house the small birds fly,
The sparrows and the chickadees
Constructing nests and finding seeds.
Though by their nature they are shy
They’ll feed near me to meet their needs.

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The Trail 

I look out where the pine trees part
To make a pathway in the woods
A covert spot for timid harts.
The squirrels from nut to acorn dart
Ensuring they have winter food.

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The Chicken Coop

My oldest son once built a coop
Upon the hill behind my home.
My window lets me view the group
Of silkie bantams as they roam.
The roosters I’ll turn into soup.

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Ecclesiastes Rhymes

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Tapestry of Life

His ways to man are mysteries unknown.
Secretly together He entwines
The victories, defeats and highs and lows
To weave complete life’s tapestry in time.

—Ecclesiastes 3:11

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God’s Gifts

To enjoy the good of work and toil,
Home and health and thy beloved’s kiss,
Bread and wine and finest olive oil,
Is from the Lord to man a precious gift.

—Ecclesiastes 3:13

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The Fool

You know him by his multitude of words,
Each sentence digs him deeper in the ground,
When put to speech his thoughts are most absurd.
He’ll be where fools and folly both are found.

—Ecclesiastes 5:3b

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A Good Night’s Sleep

A man may rest upon a bed of feathers
Or he might have a pillow made of stone.
But sweetness of his sleep depends on whether
He labored well or was a lazy-bones.

—Ecclesiastes 5:12a

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Gigi Ryan is a wife, mother, grandmother, and home educator. She lives in rural Tennessee.