My Tossed Green Salad

The Dearest Friend

Once I lived in a little town,
(I can’t state the name).
I called it a “stopping-off-place”,
But I lived there just the same.
Folks there didn’t have much to do,
The town being so small.
They played a lot of cards and talked
About their neighbors all.
Oh, yes, and teas! They had so many
I got so tired of sipping!
Such boring talk and wasted of time
Into gossip dipping.
Do you know what I did
To overcome the bore?
I walked a mile to a friend’s house,
Went in and closed the door.
Now she didn’t think about linens,
Nor bone china cups and plates,
Nor whether the silver was sterling,
Or whether the candlesticks mates.
She didn’t have a furnace,
Just a big black stove and we
Would put a kettle on the top
So we could make some tea.
We’d prop our feet up on the stove
To warm ourselves a bit,
She taught me how to crochet,
And taught me how to knit.
We’d drink our tea in broken cups,
And eat a sticky bun,
We’d lick the sugar off our fingers,
We could have such fun!
When we left that little town,
I was very glad,
But that lovely friend of mine
Was the best I’ve ever had!

~Dana B. Nelson