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LOGGERS AIN'T OUTLAWS


I recently traveled from the bay to L.A.
I stopped at a Starbucks and heard someone say,

"Loggers are outlaws, and should be extinct."
He sat at a table, of black oak, I think.

His partner nodding his head, he agrees,
while he reads from a magazine, how to save trees.

He then made a comment on the beautiful decor,
they admired the hardwood that made up the floor.

He hailed the waitress with paper cup in hand,
"We just got to stop them from cutting our land."

The new house he's building is a sight to behold,
They'll all make a mint when the old one is sold.

"We could make up some pamphlets, a million or two,
We could send them to school to retrain their crew."

I sat and I listened as my blood pressure rose,
I'm awed at the dummies our society grows.

If logging were stopped here right on this day;
all the things you enjoy would be soon out of play.

There would be no paper to read of the sorrow;
that stopping the logging would bring on tomorrow.

It's not just the lumber my industry brings;
it's paper and pallets and many more things.

The next time you wish for the logging to stop;
first tour your house and give it some thought.

Was it shipped in a crate? Did it come in a box?
Right down to the diapers, we wrap on our tots.

Pray for the loggers like everyone should.
Thank them for everything made out of wood!


BY TOM ALLEN

Amen brother!

In a soon-to-be concrete world (it could be seen as that already), it's nice to see a log cabin and a table that's sturdy but light.

My grandpa's a logger. He took (and is still taking) care of his family for thirty years. If it weren't for that, we would've added to the hungry.

Don't worry about them, Tomper, sit back and watch. You'll have a good laugh, and I'm sure you already have. They need a 'worthy' cause to be seen as important members of society. It's just a show. Let them worry about Abercrombie and you worry about your family.

Yeah buddy! Good one Tom. Also don't forget...Long Live the Skigine! hehehe

One thing....in the 5th paragraph, your "th" is lonesome for an "e" I think.

Cute. I sent it to my father.

To the details, though:

A poem should be in either the couplets or the quadlets (???) but not both? I'm pretty weak on poetry but I know there are some rules when using rhyme and meter. With free verse, anything goes.

site to behold: sight
I awed : I'm awed
th logging: the

I love to cut down trees. I spent several days last week getting firewood. Next project is splitting. There is a lot of satisfaction in bringing a maul down as hard as you can.

Good to see you, Tom

Well Well this is a first for me. I had everyone that was on line comment on my story. Even the published authors.

I was able to edit my own story, and did so. Surge isn't the only one that has had a personal triumph today.

Hey Old Ron. I was suprised to see you doing a bowl! (Isn't that a pipe in your avatar? Doesn't seem conducive to marathons.)

Thanks Gene. I guess I'm gonna die before I read that skidgine story.

Marva my dear, thanks for the words about my quads.

Damn, Tomp. Nuthin' like a poem for inspiration. I'm goin' out right now to cut down a tree.

I don't think Black Oak should be in initial caps.

Thanks for reading Will.

I think Black Oak, has to capped it is a specific speicies like Maple or Birch.

I'm not totally sure.

Tree names are not capitalized in my dictionary, Tomp.
Except for Asian willow, and such like that.

I checked too Will. You were right thanks, I changed it.


tom

Nice rhyme, Tomper, and I learned something. I would have thought black oak should have been capitalized too.

I enjoyed this, Tomper. And I don't really like poetry.

You have a talent, an ability to make even poetry seem down-to-earth.

One more thing: from my experience, as long as it sounds good and smooth, go for it. I've "had" to read a lot of poetry in college, and like my professor always said: "The best poets don't follow the rules of mechanics. They follow the rules of the heart."

Tom,

Commenting without reading anyone else's comments...
This line pops out to me because I love the 'growing' reference. I love the whole piece!

Glad you didn't call this "Tree Huggers" and thought about "Barking up the Wrong Tree" when I was done reading.

Thought provoking...truth (what gluts we are!) and if I were 17 again, oh boy! Mellower now...some of us have learned to replant, recycle, renew...few of us have learned to make do with less.

Again, thought provoking...

Well done!

Nikki

Hey Tom

Damn, you're a poet too?

Good one Tom. For some reason I don't see logers going to Starbucks, but what the hell, everyone likes a good cup of coffee.

When they get there (Starbucks), they stir their coffee with their thumb.

Note: See Robert Service's Dan McGrew poem.

You guys have no idea how good a story teller Tom is in person! I spent a night on a fire listening to him spin tales several years ago. Didn't know it was him then, of course, but that was one of the great highlights of my fire fighting career.

OK you old buzzard, the next story I write will be about you, me and a run-away skigine! I can still see the panicked look on those inmates faces! :lol: :lol:

Gene: Tell us more! Skigine? Inmates? Inquiring minds wnt to know.

Hey everybody! This poem got read on channel 980 am in Eureka California, on a three minute spot. I was shocked when I heard it. More people are reading then you think!

Tomper

Ps Gene. I went to my bosse's Christmas party, and told about two hours worth of stories. The next day, one of the guests called my bosses wife and wanted to know where they had hired me from. They wanted me at their party. ha ha ha

Tom

Hey tomper, tell them you came from the website: www.oldbrokenloggers.com

Ah Marva, you should have been there...was quite the interesting evening. Story to follow....