Home Page> NEW stuff Page> Writing Content Page> Guest Artists Page> New Writing Stuff  Corky Cummings in “Grandkids---a Well-Disguised Blessing” tells of the hazards and blessings of grandkids.  Say “Hi” to Corky in California at ccummings7@cox.net.  Bob Pankey has a new essay for us this month, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye When You Send Your First Born to College” in which Bob recalls the emotions he and his wife experienced as their elder daughter goes off to college. Say “howdy” to Bob at rbpankey1@gmail.com and check out his art on the New Art Page. Read about Bob’s new book, Short Stories from Texas and Beyond at Amazon.  Wayne Edwards has five new humorous poems this month: “Sick” tells of a little girl who claims that medicine makes her sick; “Dill Pickle Stew” is the story of a cave dweller on earth who is visited by a Martian interested in cars...and a lot more; “Consider the Monkey” is Wayne’s consideration of the prospect of what if man had tails; “The Secret” tells the twisted tell of a rumor; and “It Could Have Been Worse” relates some sisterly advice. Here’s one to whet your appetite. Consider the Monkey by Wayne Edwards  Consider the monkey, 
A devious creature. 
He mimics mankind 
In most every feature. But for only one thing, 
That I think’s just as well, 
Mankind is not blessed 
With the monkey’s long tail. Have you ever had thoughts, 
Of just how it would be, 
If God handed out tails 
When he made you and me? When you think of a tail, 
It would be hard to guess 
Just where we would put tails 
Wearing pants or a dress. And if some day your tail 
Would get hurt or get sick, 
Would a tail specialist 
Be the doctor you’d pick? A tail would be handy 
For carrying some things 
And the ladies could use it 
For wearing more rings. A monkey is hairy 
And that just might not do. 
‘Cause there’d be no place left 
For weirdoes to tattoo. Now the monkey just spends 
All his time up in trees, 
Throwing nasty things down 
At the people he sees. He mimics and copies 
All the things people do, 
So take care or he’ll make 
A monkey out of you. Now in any king’s court, 
He’d make a good jester. 
But of one thing I’m sure, 
He’s not MY ancestor! See Wayne’s books in the Bookstore and visit Wayne’s website at familypoet.com and say “Howdy” to him at wayne@familypoet.com.  David Carlton is still working away on the new collection of his poetry, but we’ve got plenty to share in our archive. Say “Howdy” to David at dcarlton@tamu.edu and see his website at http://www.cowboypoetry.com/davidcarlton.htm and view his book, Poetry of a Florida Cowboy, in the Bookstore. See David’s poetry at The Poetry of David Carlton Family farms are quickly becoming a thing of the past. These small farms are forced to compete with big farming corporations who are able to more efficiently raise their products for an ever expanding world market. Family farms that are able to continue are getting fewer and farther between.  Lack of funds for capital investments to stay competitive with corporate farms is one of the reasons in the decline of the small farm. Another reason is not having family willing to do this type of work any longer, or not having descendants to carry on.  With this last one in mind I wrote the following poem.   Family Farm   There is an old barn and an old clapboard house At the end of a long sandy road A very old man and his very old wife They almost can’t carry the load   Things used to be fresh, beautiful and bright Back when they first said their vows They started the farm with a couple of mules A few chickens and an old Jersey cow   They did pretty well for the last sixty years Though they never accumulated much cash They never had kids but never stopped trying It seems the years flew by way to fast   They lived their whole life one day at a time Trying to make their house feel like home Without little feet and dirty little hands They seemed to always feel all alone   They were always working and living alone There was a vacancy in each of their hearts Things would have been different, or so it seems If they could have kids from the very start   Their time is about over with the passage of years There’s no hope for their life style to last Without children to carry on their family name The Family Farm is a thing of the past   © David Carlton 2019   4 Dollars A Pound by David Carlton    The grass is green and the cattle are fat A cowman can be happy with conditions like that   The market is up to 4 dollars a pound With prices like these new investors abound   The elevated prices have reduced herd size But sooner or later you have to realize   That you can’t sustain the current trend If you’re not retaining heifers to expand herd size again   It’s the same old cycle that ranchers must heed While making some money, being careful of greed  © David Carlton 2015   Michael O’Brien’s essay this month is “Mid-Spring and Memories” which tells of Michael’s plans to meet old friends and family during the summer months.  Check out Michael’s blog at http://mjobrien.com/blog/ and view more of his art at mjobrienart.com and Michael O’Brien and see his new art on the “New Art Stuff”page and see his books in the Bookstore and say “Howdy” to Michael at mjobrien@tamu.edu.  Bill Neinast, columnist for the Brenham Banner Press, has four new essays for us this month: his essay, “Respect for the Law,” is Bill’s lament that we seem to be losing our respect for laws and our love of country; in “Thank Your Mentors” Bill sees proposals by the Left to solve everything from the border invasion to medical care to be naive; “Nero’s Fiddling” is Bill’s reaction to the recent Democrat Presidential debate; and in
“Red Flag Approach” Bill points out that in spite of ample evidence, the Democrats are reluctant to give up their claims of collusion and obstruction. Tell Bill you appreciate him and his writing at neins1@aol.com.  I’m back this month with four new essays: “God Hates a Straight Line” is my conclusion that God has a dislike of straight lines and barely tolerates a level one; “Magical Thinking” reminds us that magical thinking is a real hindrance to folks; “No Control?” is a reminder to parents that moving to a different town may have a greater effect on their children than they might believe; and “It’s Football Season and Fall Can’t Be Far Behind” is a celebration of the arrival of a new football season and the promise of spring. Would you believe it---I have a new book, Old Guy: I’m Still Here. My first book was titled Old Guy Has Final Word: It’s All about Me. I put that book together when I was extremely ill and suspected I probably wouldn’t be around long. Well, it turns out that I’m still here and have written over 300 essays. The selections in this book are just a few that I really like. There is no rhyme or reason for the ones I’ve chosen. They’re a little like the famous box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. I hope ya’ll enjoy them. By the way, my good friend, John Grant, provided the cover art. Thanks, John. The book is available at Amazon. My book, Old Guy Has Final Word, is still available at Amazon I’ve added a Kindle version. My book has been picked up by Barnes and Noble. The book is a collection of essays suitable to be read by both young and old. Tell me how much you hate my writing at oldjwpinkerton@gmail.com and take a look at my bio page: John Pinkerton   Check out all of our authors and send them an email encouraging them to make more contributions: Big Al (oldjwpinkerton@gmail.com), Grady Arnold (arnoldgrady@yahoo.com), Robin Avery (robinavery47@gmail.com), Tami Bachert (tbach812@hotmail.com), Hendrik Bergen (hendrikbergen@gmail.com), Jay Brakefield (ellum1@aol.com), Steve Branch (stevewbranch@gmail.com), Mick Burson (Mnburson@yahoo.com), Patricia Campbell(campbellpatricia@bellsouth.net), David Carlton (dcarlton@tamu.edu), Rhonda Wheeler Cook (rrakcook@yahoo.com),Frank Cox III (fwc1965@yahoo.com), Corky Cummings (ccummings7@cox.net), (oldjwpinkerton@gmail.com) Russell Cushman (rcush403@aol.com), Samantha Jane DeMont (sjdemont@gmail.com), Wayne Edwards (wayne@familypoet.com), Elsa (oldjwpinkerton@gmail.com), John Grant (studio@grantartistry.com), Paul Hord (phord@csisd.org), Lisa Hughes (earthwalkart@aol.com), Bob Hurt (bob@bobhurt.com), (earthwalkart@aol.com), Jupiter (jwpinkerton@gmail.com), Ken Keller (kennymike47@hotmail.com) Sue Ann Lockard (sueannlockard@lockardandwhite.com), Marc Lockard (mlockard@lockardandwhite.com), Gene Miller (gene.betty@gmail.com), Sherrine Moore (sherrinemoore@hotmail.com), Ken Muenzenmayer , (kenmuenz@aol.com), Michael O’Brein (mjobrien@tamu.edu), Bill Neinast ,(neins1@aol.com), Bob Pankey (rbpankey@txstate.edu ), Theresa Perez (tmp96@yahoo.com, John Pinkerton (oldjwpinkerton@gmail.com), Amy Roman (myromanfamily@gmail.com), Roy Sanders (news@bctribune.com), Mick Stratton (mstratton@hlkn.tamu.edu), Bill Tune (bctune@gmail.com), Lisa Urban (Lisa.Urban.24@gmail.com), Ponk Vonsydow (ponkvonsydow@gmail.com), Charles Wallis (http://www.charleswallis.com/601716/contact/ ) and Curt Wills (cewwib@aol.com).  If you are unsure about contributing your own writing to this website, go to “An Unashamed Personal Pitch to Encourage You to Write for This Website.”  enoughHome_1.htmlNew_Stuff.htmlEssays.htmlGuest_Artists.htmlCorky_Cummings.htmlGrandkids-a_Well-Disguised_Ble3ssing.htmlGrandkids-a_Well-Disguised_Ble3ssing.htmlmailto:ccummings7@cox.netBob_Pankey_Artist.htmlIts_So_Hard.htmlIts_So_Hard.htmlIts_So_Hard.htmlmailto:rbpankey1@gmail.comNAS_AUG_1.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1978147422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507934638&sr=8-1&keywords=Short+Stories+From+Texas+And+Beyondhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1978147422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507934638&sr=8-1&keywords=Short+Stories+From+Texas+And+Beyondhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1978147422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507934638&sr=8-1&keywords=Short+Stories+From+Texas+And+Beyondhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1978147422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507934638&sr=8-1&keywords=Short+Stories+From+Texas+And+BeyondWayne_Edwards.html1cWayne_Edwards_2.html1cWayne_Edwards_2.html1cWayne_Edwards_2.html1cWayne_Edwards_2.html1cWayne_Edwards_2.htmlWayne_Edwards.htmlBookstore_2_1.htmlhttp://www.familypoet.com/mailto:wayne@familypoet.comDavid_Carlton.htmlmailto:dcarlton@tamu.eduhttp://www.cowboypoetry.com/davidcarlton.htmBookstore_1.htmlPoetry_of_DC_1_A.htmlPoetry_of_DC_1_A.htmlDavid_Carlton.htmlMichael_OBrein_Author.htmlMid-.htmlMid-.htmlhttp://mjobrien.com/blog/http://mjobrien.com/blog/http://mjobrien.com/blog/http://mjobrienart.com/Michael_OBrein_Author.htmlBookstore_1.htmlmailto:mjobrien@tamu.eduBill_Neinast.htmlhttp://www.brenhambanner.com/Respect5_for_the_Law.htmlRespect5_for_the_Law.htmlRespect5_for_the_Law.htmlThank_Your_Mentors.htmlNeros_Fiddling.htmlRed_Flag_Approach.htmlmailto:neins1@aol.comGod_Hates_a_Straight_Line.htmlGod_Hates_a_Straight_Line.htmlMagical_Thinking.htmlMagical_Thinking.htmlNo_Control.htmlIts_Football_Seasoon_and_Fall_Cant_Be_Far_Behind.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/Old-Guy-Im-Still-Here/dp/109106007X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=old+guy%3A+I%27m+Still+here&qid=1555280264&s=books&sr=1-1John_Grant.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/Old-Guy-Im-Still-Here/dp/109106007X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=old+guy%3A+I%27m+Still+here&qid=1555280264&s=books&sr=1-1Bookstore_1.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/Old-Guy-Has-Final-Word-ebook/dp/B073HQG7PC/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499195149&sr=8-1&keywords=old+guy+has+final+wordhttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/old-guy-has-final-word-john-w-pinkerton/1126547481https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/old-guy-has-final-word-john-w-pinkerton/1126547481mailto:oldjwpinkerton@gmail.comJohn_Pinkerton_Author.htmlBig_Al.htmlmailto:oldjwpinkerton@gmail.comGrady_Arnold.htmlmailto:arnoldgrady@yahoo.com?subject=Robin_Avery_Author.htmlRobin_Avery_Author.htmlmailto:robinavery47@gmail.comTami_Bachert.htmlmailto:tbach812@hotmail.comHendrik_Bergen.htmlmailto:hendrikbergen@gmail.comJay_Brakefield.htmlmailto:ellum1@aol.comSteve_Branch.htmlmailto:stevewbranch@gmail.comMick_Burson_Autho9r.htmlmailto:Mnburson@yahoo.comPatricia_Campbell.htmlmailto:campbellpatricia@bellsouth.netDavid_Carlton.htmlmailto:dcarlton@tamu.eduRhonda_Wheeler_Cook.htmlmailto:rrakcook@yahoo.comFrank_Cox_III.htmlmailto:fwc1965@yahoo.comCorky_Cummings.htmlmailto:ccummings7@cox.netmailto:oldjwpinkerton@gmail.comRussel_Cushman_Writer.htmlmailto:rcush403@aol.comSamantha_Jane_DeMont.htmlSamantha_Jane_DeMont.htmlmailto:sjdemont@gmail.comWayne_Edwards.htmlWayne_Edwards.htmlmailto:wayne@familypoet.comElsa.htmlmailto:oldjwpinkerton@gmail.comJohn_Grant__author.htmlmailto:studio@grantartistry.comPaul_Hord.htmlmailto:phord@csisd.orgLisa_Hughes.htmlmailto:earthwalkart@aol.comBob_Hurt.htmlmailto:bob@bobhurt.commailto:earthwalkart@aol.comJupiter.htmlmailto:jwpinkerton@gmail.comKen_Keller.htmlmailto:kennymike47@hotmail.comSue_Ann_Lockard.htmlmailto:sueannlockard@lockardandwhite.comMarc_Lockard.htmlmailto:mlockard@lockardandwhite.comEugene_Miller.htmlmailto:gene.betty@gmail.comSherrine_Moore.htmlmailto:sherrinemoore@hotmail.comKen_Muenzenmayer_author.htmlmailto:kenmuenz@aol.comMichael_OBrein_Author.htmlmailto:mjobrien@tamu.eduBill_Neinast.htmlmailto:neins1@aol.comRobert_B._Pankey.htmlmailto:rbpankey@txstate.eduTheresa_Perez.htmlmailto:tmp96@yahoo.comJohn_Pinkerton_Author.htmlmailto:oldjwpinkerton@gmail.comAmy_Roman.htmlmailto:myromanfamily@gmail.comRoy_Sanders.htmlmailto:news@bctribune.comMick_Stratton.htmlmailto:mstratton@hlkn.tamu.eduBill_Tune.htmlmailto:bctune@gmail.comLisa_Urban_Author.htmlmailto:Lisa.Urban.24@gmail.commailto:Lisa.Urban.24@gmail.comPonk_Vonsydow.htmlmailto:ponkvonsydow@gmail.comCharles_Wallis_Author.htmlhttp://www.charleswallis.com/601716/contact/http://www.charleswallis.com/601716/contact/Curt_Wills.htmlmailto:cewwib@aol.comEssays.htmlEssays.htmlEssays.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9shapeimage_1_link_10shapeimage_1_link_11shapeimage_1_link_12shapeimage_1_link_13shapeimage_1_link_14shapeimage_1_link_15shapeimage_1_link_16shapeimage_1_link_17shapeimage_1_link_18shapeimage_1_link_19shapeimage_1_link_20shapeimage_1_link_21sh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