Lisa is a friend, who wrote this after I was injured in an accident. Ignore the line or two that doesn’t make sense, as there are some inside jokes/details in this saga. Lisa is now working on her first novel, so we meet monthly to critique each other’s writing. I can’t wait until her book is finished and published — it’s going to be good!
There once was a lady
Who thought it was fun
To run marathon races,
Oh she’d run, run, run, run!
And with energy left she would
Work at their store,
Keep house, teach three boys,
And have time for much more.
And she’d not bat an eye
At the strenuous job
Feeding one hundred–three
Hungry teens (what a mob!)
Simple and easy
Her cooking it wasn’t
Sometimes she would make
Enchiladas – twelve dozent!
And she’d gladly help out
When the church needed color
She’d bring bushes, and flowers,
And some statue or other.
(which sometimes ended up
At the home of a friend,
Named Cogburn, and giv’n
seven hats for his head—
not to mention the scarf, bow tie and Luigi’s apron!)
Then one day she did thunk
An exceptional thought.
“Dear husband,” she said,
“I think that we ought
To sell off our business,
Our home, and greenhouses.
I am tired of working
Without any pouses.”
So they auctioned their plants,
And their trees, and the piles
of stuffulous stuff
That collects in the files.
Then they bought an RV
And they drove out of town
To check out this vast land,
And see what was around.
These past months they’ve traveled
Many miles of roads,
Staying tan through the winter,
While friends at home froze.
They swam in the ocean,
Rode horses, and hiked
Through canyons and deserts
Seeing sights that they liked.
‘(and perhaps some that they didn’t, but that doesn’t rhyme)
They met up with cool people,
RVers by dozens.
Some became almost family,
(Oberholtzer-ish cousins.)
Finally they hit
Californy-i-a
Where they helped clean up fires
For many a day.
As the calendar ticked
Past the middle of May,
They started up north
Beyond smoggy LA.
When a pile-up of trucks
Stopped them right in their tracks
With a screech and a scrunch
And some crumpulous smacks.
The boys were all right
As was good Mr. O.
Rescued by an angel.
It’s true! We all know!
But our dear vibrant Janet
Took the brunt of the crunch
Smashing pelvis and legs,
Loosing blood, quite a bunch.
The hospital said
“She’s in bad shape. We fear
That the chance that she’ll live
Is quite sadly unclear.”
But they didn’t consider
The big God in Whose hand
This life was now safely
Being held by His plan.
Each day as the doctors
And nurses did tend her
Her faith and the prayers
Of her friends helped to mend her.
Three weeks after this lady
Was flown in half-dead
She was talking and laughing,
Spending time out of bed.
So each day and each night,
As her friends are all praying,
Janet keeps on improving.
Her progress is amazing!
She has far still to go
‘fore she’s running once more
But this lady’s a fighter
There’ll be good things in store.
And soon she’ll be back
To this great commonwealth
Where her family will help
With her trek back to health.
(We’re glad she’s returning
To eastern PA,
But surely there must be
An easier way,
To make her return than
Just what came to pass,
An unpleasant, unplanned,
Catastrophical crash.)
So we want you to know,
Vibrant Janet, our friend,
That you’re loved, that you’re missed,
That you’re far from the end
Of this saga of life
That we all must go through.
This chapter’s a tough one
For your family and you.
But you have a big God
With his help you’ll get through!
And each day that you breathe
You’ll know miracles do
Still happen these days,
‘Cause they happened to YOU!
– Lisa Betz