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Best Poems Written by James Gooch

Below are the all-time best James Gooch poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Mary Had a Little Ham - Invited Me For Dinner

My lady friend Mary invited me over one day to have a little ham
So, I put on my big heavy coat and my fur hat and grabed a digital cam
It was late in November and the streets were white with snow
But when Mary invited me over for some ham, I was sure to go
Now I also want to mention that come spring little Mary
Becomes a different person, quite to the contrary
Last spring I asked her, Mary, Mary...(she's hard hearing) "how does your garden 
grow?"
Well, she just went sort of weird on me and and replied: "sheeps in the meadow 
and cows in the corn"........  
I could tell that she was a "Little Girl Blue",  so I just went over and for her I did 
blow my horn
But after a little while (the ham was gone)..  so Jack (me) I was nimble about it and 
sort of quick
I turned all of a sudden and just jumped right on over her candle stick
I had my digital camera with me though and did take her picture, but no more talk
And what do you know when I steped outside I ran right into this bean stalk....
Well it was more than I could resist, so I climbed it....  and so it just went on and on 
Till it was gone.........   And so am I............     Real Gone.........

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My Brother In Law the Blind Preacher

It's been many years that have gone by since I set at his table
Playing twelve spot dominoes with this remarkable man, who was quite able
There was no hesitation as his fingers danced accross the dots to choose the right 
one to lay down
He never did slow the pace of the game, and I don't think I ever did see this 
remarkable man with a frown
He was a good looking fellow by most any measure, and very clean and neat
And I remember at one of his sermons how he spoke of the woman washing Jesus's 
feet
Before church started that particular morning he asked me to drive him into the 
woods so he could just listen for a while
We sat there that morning, it was in the early fall, and every now and then a little 
sound or the puff of wind would bring his face a big smile
It may have been the sound of a bright colored leaf as it fell onto the others
Or especially the singing birds and cawing of the hawks and fluttering wings or bird 
babies chirping for their mothers
This prepared him for a sermon he wanted to deliver, straight from creations voices 
and tender carress's he was at last ready to go
And for me it was such a beautiful memory that stoked and encouraged my spirit to 
grow
The sermon he brought that fine fall morning was so full of live energy and true faith 
and nobody seemed to hardly even move
Except to dance with the spirit if they were encouraged to spiritual groove
They all seemed to be so proud to have been there to hear their fine preacher
No doubt about it, he was a very fine man and a wonderful teacher

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A Very Fine Mouse That I Took To Dinner

I had climbed the steep stairs two landings to the top floor
Paid the two dollars for my bed in the dorm as I had several nights before
Now you were not allowed to sleep here if you were rowdy or real drunk
You had to have the "once over"  and then take a shower before you got a bunk
Lock up your gear and clothes and shoes and get a cotten gown and pair of flippers
And if you needed a haircut they had a man with a pair of clippers
The requirements were that you get there no later than six at night
They sold sandwiches and chips and hot dogs and burgers and the price was alright
Another room that had a small television and a few chairs and an old grey rug
And also was a bookie who took your bets if you had faith in the mouse called Pug
Every evening the small crowd would gather for this special event
You had to bet at least a dollar and was worth every red cent
For little Pug had been doing this every night for a couple of months and had no fear
Except when he would pick a winning piece of food and would be a little tiny cheer
The men bet to see what piece of food little Pug would pick and take under the wall
Where he and his family lived and he was the provider of food and gave us a ball
Been many years ago that I took Pug to dinner 
For he picked my piece of a cheeto one night and made me a winner

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Greyhound Bus Station - Two In the Morning - Doctor In the Alley

A long time ago this scene unfolded as I traveled from place to place
As I look back from my values I hold dear today, it's entirely a different race
Every persons walk is unique and holds many a lesson
Some to share openly and others are for confessen
Wake up somewhere in an alley behind a trash dumpster or in a doorway
Depends on your luck the night before if it was foreplay or poorplay
You may have scored a job to load delivery trucks with that smooth Gallo wine
That would net you a cool twenty and slip a bottle in the pocket made you feel just 
fine
So when you got off work you had some money
But you didn't spend it on women because white port was your honey
You could rent a room for five dollars a day and buy peanut butter and bread
The rest for some wine or brandy or whiskey maybe a beer and you were totally fed
Now you were confident you likely had some work and pay every day
If you don't get sent out on a job you can sell blood was your ace the other way
Somedays you would switch and work during the day 
But your style was no different you needed daily pay
So you worked at the slave market is what the common name is
Always minimun pay and very little quiz
You could have been a bank robber or a serial killer
Made no difference you just wrote on the paper what ever would fill er
No one was ever going to check to see if you had just graduated from Yale
Or had done something real bad and just got out of jail....
So once in a while you just wanted to change locations for no particular reason
Except maybe the biggest if you slept out you preferred a fair season
If it were two in the morning somewhere and you had the shakes
You knew how to locate a doctor down the alley and pay what it takes
So after many bus rides and alleys and stomach fulls and heartaches
I use a different doctor now and he's not in the alley, we play for much higher stakes

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A Fishy Story

While enjoying a walk in the woods near a beautiful lake
A huge spider jumped from a tree and landed on my shoulder
Taking quick action I hurriedly jumped into the lake and the spider was gone
But then as I started walking back to the shore I felt something wiggle in my pocket
Well that had me a little worried too, so quickly I took off my pants as soon as I was back on the shore.  Then I heard some giggles and as I looked around there were
some girls just laughing and pointing over at me.  So I picked up my pants and
jumped back in the lake and then I saw what had caused all the fuss.  There
was just a tiny little ole fish just looking up at me and it had something in its mouth.
It needed my help so I pulled out this obstruction and saw what it was.  Well I
petted and spoke softly to the little fish and saw that we had a winning lottery ticket
now in my hands.  I told the little fish all about it and just turned it loose after I
told it to meet me back here the next day.  So I cashed in the ticket and went and
bought a new pick-up truck and drove back to the lake to give the little fish it's
part of the winnings.  But, don't accuse me of trying to abuse or to cheat that fish.
I am being honest....  The fish never did show up to collect its part of the winnings
And that is a true fish story

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Our Oldest Cat, Sammie's Diagnosis Is Not Very Good

Sammie is a Tabby by design and recognition as far as a mental picture would be
He first came home to us from a shelter as a kitten and made us a family of three
That was about ten years ago, and Sammie has grown and is a pretty big cat
But he is still very playfull and energetic and loving and like our child is his hat
He also wears the hat of older brother to little Pepper who came about a year later 
He came to us from being a feral kitten among the many we would cater
Recently Sammie developed a tumor on the lower part of his right hind leg
We took him to the doctor and got a diagnosis that took us all down a peg
For the real bummer was that there are more tumors inside
So instead of taking the one off, he said to just let it ride
Sammies life will likely end he said sometimes in the next one to three years
So the news is not very good and it brought us all to share some tears
In the mean while we rub his belly where the tumors are all at
And pray for some majestic energies to be unleashed on our little cat
So if you also are of a mind to share a prayer
Little Sammie loves you and is so happy that you care

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Pulling Into the Old Train Station In 1957

It had been a long train ride for me then and it had been fun
I was coming home after Marine Corps training was finished and my tour had just begun
So I had thirty days of leave to enjoy before I had to report for duty
And this train ride home for me was just perfect to relax and enjoy the extreme beauty
I boarded this train called "The El Capitan" a streamliner fully equiped for joy and ease
In Los Angeles on that early November morning, full of good feelings and very pleased
The scenery was fantastic throughout the entire trip as I watched from the upper dome
It was a special car for observing with tables to play cards or eat as we hurried on home
The landscape was ever changing and so many times I was fantastically in awe
The mountains and the desert and the flat lands and the crops so much I still recall
The old train stations where we stoped for a short time to let people off and on
And the complete aura of it all including the pipe smoke, cigars, fragrances cologne
The scenes were a wonder and the people were quite varried and seemed jolly
My trip came to an end, we pulled into the old Union Station in Kansas City, " by golly"
And my folks were there to greet me and we hugged and cried and loved and went home
And it was a perfect ending to my trip that I had enjoyed so much in that  dome

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40 Hornets, the Executioners of Love

Sorta reminded me of Salem Witch Trials I've read about in the past
Similarly, in this case people could point and say: "They are in love" and they would
most certainly be given a hornets blast.  Oh they would not cut off the lovers heads 
as t'was in days of yore.  Then they just pointed at you and said:  "She's a witch" 
and then cut off their heads to keep from being a bore.  Most popular was to burn them
tied to a stake so they could hear the loud fires roar.  And was by far the most likely
way to do it, untill their came a day when the people saw right through it.
But then little is known about this I want to tell you to hold on to your seats.  Here
is one of the worlds most cruel and remarkable feats.
40 Hornets was all it took from their most powerful venom to work
They would just net them over the heads and let them do the 40 jerk
That method did not get put down as part of mans cruel punishment as of yet
But I don't think it's on the books or against the law to hire 40 Hornets I would bet
But love conquers all it hs long ago been decided
Though love can be a Hornets nest if love is not abided

By the way, this is not a true story.  So hope you don't feel the sting of it too badly
It is just a wonder that it did not happen as some other things have all so sadly

Love to all

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I Interogated a Rain Drop

It has been very dry because rain did not come here for a long time this year
So a bunch of us locals got together to discuss what the heck is going on around here
So, we thought it would be just a wonderful idea to get it from the horses mouth and
make it very clear
So yesterday when it did rain finally after so long an absence I captured a drop of rain to question so that we all might hear Just why rain avoided us so long, had we done anything to make it mad or did it not like us for some reason and decide not to appear
After several minutes of hard questions and not getting anywhere at all
The drop of rain seemed to cower and be smaller, shrinking with interogation fear
Well we thought we had it cornered as it kept shrinking with shame from each blast
upon its ear
Then all of a sudden something strange happened it just seemed to totally disappear
We don't know where it could have gone, for we had placed it under all the hot lights
so we could see it so very clear
So we put out an wide sweeping APB with a picture of a tear

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The Love of Our Two Cats

Sammie and Pepper are like our children to us
Their bright eyes are so expressive with much love and trust
So many years ago I just never did know
About the deep love of a cat and my impressions were low
But I was just a young man during those growing years
Gettiing over some rough spots and so many fears
As life has continued to mould me and I became a cat daddy
At my more mature age I even baby sit our daughters cats, Cody and Maddy
So, every now and then their are four cats in the house
We are honored to have them all, me and my spouse
We are now very much cat lovers and so very proud and happy
We are greeted whenever we come in the door, loving mommy and pappy
They both rub against our legs and look up with inquiring bright eyes
Where you both been? Did you bring us a surprise?
And we always do bring them something to enjoy
A goodie to eat and perhaps a little mouse toy
Just wanted to tell the world how wonderful it is to be in love
With these furry Gods creatures so delightfully created in heaven above