Maxims

“All is not gold that glitters,”

     My father used to say;

He had a lot of maxims

     He sprung from day to day.

“The longest way’s the surest

     Way home,” he said to me;

When I went round the mill pond

     He kicked most awfully.

“Don’t ever trouble trouble

     Till trouble troubles you,”

My father oft repeated,

     And which I thought was true.

One day his old ram bumped me,

     I felled him with my bat;

My father never quoted

     The saying after that.

“All work makes Jack a dullard,”

     I heard him say to ma;

“The same applies to Joseph,”

     I quickly said to pa.

“When children start a-quoting

     These maxims,” grumbled pa,

“I think it’s time we stopped ‘em,”

“I think so too,” said ma.

Dec. 2, ‘09