Rags To Riches - Both Audio and Text

My pop was called, when he was young -- a “Jack of many trades”…the type of guy who’d gladly take on any kind of task. And if you needed help with something few would volunteer for, he always made it clear that all you had to do - was ask. At ten years old he took himself a job at Churchill Downs cleanin’ out the horses’ stalls for twenty cents a week! In only fourteen months he’d learned a way for pickin’ winners, and figurin’ out he’d found himself a talent quite unique… He spread the word --- for 50 cents he’d sell you his opinion --- while pointing out the ones he chose were not a guarantee -- But after makin’ most the ones that quizzed him lots of money…like any savvy business man ‘ll do….he raised his fee! The knack he had for pickin’ winning horses like he could -- because he’d so religiously observed them run the track -- Helped him build a clientele of big-time heavy-hitters that paid him well to fill them in on which horse they should back. The guy who owned the downs became concerned when he discovered that several of his patrons had been winning more an’ more - And when he learned the reason why, he tried to sue my pop…but never found a single thing to prosecute him for! All he’d done was learn to spot a winner when he saw one…then share his views with bettin’ folk…there ain’t no crime in that. Soooo….to help his clients find him, he’d run ads before each race explainin' where he’d be that day -- and when he’d be there at! The gratitude his clients showed was often quite substantial…and late in life my Dad had homes in all the race-track towns! He went from "rags to riches", quite a feat when you consider he’d actually started out by - scoopin’ poop - at Churchill Downs! PS: I've now got 4 new Audio-CDs to offer my poetry fans- @ 4 1/2 hours each = (62 diversely varied pieces). They’re listed on EBAY - under - “Mark Stellinga Poetry” - or available by simply contacting me at -- mark@writerofbooks.com -- should those of you who enjoy listening to poems as well as reading them - and particularly those of you who travel - care to be so entertained. (We use safe and simple - PayPal) Cheers, Mark