ONLY ONCE IN THE FALL

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#336666" TEXT="#080000" background="043b85a3.jpg"> <div> <B>                                  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#33CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>BILLY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT ADDITIONS</B></FONT><B>   </B></div> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>                                                  </B></FONT><B>                  </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>   </B></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=250 BGCOLOR="#336666" TEXT="#080000" background="044fab83.jpg"> <bR> <div> ''EDELEWEISS''</div> <div>  <embed src="HTMLobj-136/farther_along.mid" autostart="false" width="145" height="70">  </div> <div> <B>SOUND CONTROL</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="guestbook.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="GUESTBOOK">GUESTBOOK</A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BILLYS FOOD FOR THOUGHT ADDITIONS"><B><U>BACK TO HOMEPAGE</U></B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>  <div align="center"> <div style="padding:0px; border:1px solid #999999; width:235px; margin: 0px;background-color:#F2F4FA;"> <form action="http://pub2.bravenet.com/elist/add.php" method="post" style="margin:0px;"> <div style="background-color:#DBE0F5;padding:3px;font:12px arial;color:black;"><b>Join the Mailing List</b></div> <div style="margin:10px; font: 11px arial; color: black; text-align:right;"> <div style="margin-bottom:5px;">Enter your name and email address below:</div> Name: <input type="text" name="ename" size="25" maxlength="60" /><br> Email: <input type="text" name="emailaddress" size="25" maxlength="100" /><br> <input type="radio" name="action" value="join" checked style="border: 0px;"/>Subscribe  <input type="radio" name="action" value="leave" style="border: 0px;" />Unsubscribe  <input type="hidden" name="usernum" style="border: 0px solid black; height: 0px; width: 0px;" value="126720699" /><input type="hidden" name="cpv" style="border: 0px solid black; height: 0px; width: 0px;" value="1" /> <input type="submit" name="submit" value="GO" /></div> <div align="center" style="margin-bottom:5px;"><a title="Free Mailing Lists from Bravenet.com" href="http://www.bravenet.com"><img src="http://assets.bravenet.com/cp/bn-elist.gif" alt="Free Mailing Lists from Bravenet.com" border="0"></a></div></form> </div></div>   </B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04207073.jpg"> <div> <I>ONLY ONCE IN THE FALL</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>ONLY IN THE FALL</I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#333300" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> It is a fact of life.... that God had in His sight; </div> <div> that everything He did was purposely; </div> <div> but in His scheme of things.. here's one confusion brings; </div> <div> and that's the presence of a tree. </div> <bR> <div> Yes, a tree! a Gum Tree in my yard and I'm trying very hard </div> <div> to understand it's certain role. </div> <div> It's trunk is so profound growing roots above the ground, </div> <div> and bustin' up my toes when I stroll. </div> <bR> <div> Then the sticky sap and juices, and gum balls it produces.. </div> <div> clutters up my yard beneath my boots; </div> <div> my grass I cannot cut.. 'til I rake the gum balls up, </div> <div> but even then there's still the roots! </div> <div> And I can't cut it down 'cause the payment would astound, </div> <div> "an arm and a leg" would be too much; </div> <div> so I'll live with it I guess, and try to do my best; </div> <div> while in the yard I'll just use a crutch. </div> <bR> <div> But there's one thing I see... about this Gum Ball tree, </div> <div> and that's in the autumn of the year, </div> <div> when the leaves are brilliant red, and it's beautiful instead; </div> <div> "This may be the reason why it's here!" </div> <bR> <div> William E. Hardison (c)</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="sinking_sand.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SINKING SAND">NEXT POEM</A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>