Terry D. Sutherland

EILEEN

A chawbacon bumpkin brought her a gift
Five hundred pounds; too heavy to lift
Eileen toted it home on a two wheeled cart
Traveling the dirt road near tore it apart

It got to her place a little worse for the wear
The brown paper wrapper was beginning to tear
A hemp rope for the ribbon tied in a bow at the top
A board nailed to the back of the cart for a stop

She hired a helper to unload the damned thing
She wondered though, what tools he’d bring
He brought a team of fine oxen to help unload
They pulled and pulled until it fell in the road

She paid the helper four bits for the day
He took the small bounty and went on his way
The gift she decided wouldn’t move from there
She’d wait till next year and make it a pair