Holly Bush

My spouse and I own a comfortable home on a quiet street, And we have roses, flowers and bountiful fruit trees replete. I take great care to ensure that things are regular and complete. That way, from neighbors I'll take no unwarranted heat! I planted a holly bush a number of years ago, And that dude just continues to spread and grow. So every now and then I grab my shears and it I prune. This must be done every year around the first of June. It is nearly six feet high - I must stretch to reach the top, So I use a step ladder to reach the highest twigs to lop. In years past I've used the ladder and have had no trouble, But today it slipped - I took a tumble in a bed of stubble! When I fell the branches parted like The Red Sea for me. I landed on my posterior in all sorts of dubious debris. Looking up briefly I saw the pristine Colorado sky, And sent a plea upward saying, "Lord this ain't no way to die!" I could see the headlines in tomorrow morning's paper: "Man dies in clutches of holly bush due to careless caper!" I learned a valuable lesson as a result of this exercise: New methods for pruning that challenging shrub I must devise! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired (© All Rights Reserved)