Winona Hannah (Quibell) Baker POETRY
Written throughout the lifetime of the mother of Vicki Rae Chris (Baker) Tinney

MY LIFE AND LOVED ONES
Part III

101          Pearl

You were the cook where I worked
One of the best I have known,
Much of the food that was prepared
Was like I prepared it at home.

You always had a welcome smile
Whenever we would meet,
Your friendship was freely given
Pearl, you really are neat.

I gradually became a very good friend
You seemed such a kindred soul,
To always be your faithful friend
Was and will be my ultimate goal.

We are friends and can discuss
Our work and our families too,
We have such a valuable friendship
To last us our lives through.
            Nona Hansen Baker


102          Dorothy

We were kindred spirits, I believe
We got along so very well,
I loved you dearly as a friend
Admire you more than I can tell.

Once we worked together
Those memories linger still,
I'll never forget those precious days
I am sure that I never will.

We always found something to talk about
Our poetry, our work and dolls,
We never ran out of thoughts to share
We shared much in telephone calls.

I really valued our friendship
I know that you did too,
We will always be the best of friends
All of our lives through.
            Nona Hansen Baker
[Dorothy worked with me in the Doll Dept.]


103          Roy Bouldin

If I ever needed something done
When I lived here alone,
I had a neighbor who would help me
Do things around my home.

He was the age of my oldest son
And tried to be a good neighbor,
His lovely wife and children seemed
Ready to do me a favor.

When I would be working in the yard
He would come to the fence to talk,
We discussed things about our places
He was so friendly and smiled a lot.

We had many good gab sessions
Then they moved away,
I missed the many talks we had
They really brightened up my day.

He was very much like a son
He was good and kind and true,
Roy, I was greatly privileged
To have a friend and neighbor like you.
             Nona Hansen Baker


104          Good Neighbors

When Roy and his family moved away
I lost some very dear friends,
Fernando and his family came
They too had friendship to lend.

Both neighbors were the very best
A neighbor could ever be,
These new people were willing
To be a friend to me.

Their children were well behaved
I learned to love them so,
They lived here for several years before
They told me they too must go.

I missed these two very fine men
And their families too,
I appreciated having good neighbors
Who would always see me through.

I have never been a loner
I have sought to have someone near,
When there are good people around
There is nothing that I fear.

I hope my new neighbors will bring
The contentment and friendship I knew,
Roy, Fernando and families, I'm glad
I had such wonderful neighbors like you.
        Nona Hansen Baker


105          Younger Friends

Most of my friends are younger than I
My older ones have gone on ahead,
I did not want to be friendless
So chose younger ones instead.

All of us have much in common
We enjoy the things that we do,
We plan simple events bi-weekly
And then we carry them through.

Sherry, Diane, Nellie, Darla and I
Meet in a certain place,
Our casual talking and joking
Oft brings smiles to the face.

We have no spectacular moments
That we could casually share,
Its the contentment we find with each other
Because each of us really do care.

It brightens our once lonely hours
For each of us is willing to lend,
Devotion and thoughtful endeavors
Just by being a friend.
                          Nona Hansen Baker

106          Leo

For many years, you were my boss
You often told me so,
If I ever made an error
You would surely let me know.

You were very demanding
You expected a lot of me,
Some of the others would slack off
I was kept as busy as could be.

Yet, I thought you excellent
In your fairness to each one,
You always showed appreciation
Before our day was done.

There were great expectations
In the work we had to do,
You would set a certain goal
And help us carry through.

Your demands were excessive
You did not settle for any less,
If I were to rate you as a boss,
I would rate you as the best.
             Nona Hansen Baker


107          Harold

Some people never understood you
In your staunch superior way,
But I always got along with you
You are still my friend today.

You demanded much of your people
You sought perfection I thought,
You wanted everything to be the best
And I believe that is what you got.

I am sure your people loved you
They tried to live up to your goal,
You were a man of good character
Such faith was in your soul.

In all the years we spend at work
I always believed you to be,
A man of great integrity
And a very good friend to me.
          Nona Hansen Baker


108          Milo

When you became our Director
I was very much impressed,
Knowing under your command
Working conditions would be the best.

You really were everyone's friend
I never heard anyone say,
That you had hurt their feelings
Or had harmed them in any way.

You often stopped to say "Hello"
Showing an interest in what we would do,
You always thanked us for service
You were kind and thoughtful too.

I always admired your thoughtfulness
You were as nice as you could be,
I will always be grateful to you
For the kindness shown to me.
             Nona Hansen Baker


109          Brent

When you became boss, I was worried
About the changes that came my way,
Our working lifestyle shattered
By the new changes made each day.

I often wondered if wisdom
Was used in these changes you made,
But undaunted I complied with them
And I never became afraid.

I understood the situations
That cast you to be,
A strict but fair-minded boss
Who became a friend to me.

When a reason is understood
It is easier to carry through,
Brent, I will always be thankful
I became a friend to you.
     Nona Hansen Baker


110          Esther

Such a pleasant person
You always tried to be,
And I am thankful that
You found a friend in me.

We have had our ups and downs
As friends will often do,
We settled all our difficulties
And I am still a friend to you.

We talked about our families
We had a common ground,
It became a pleasure
Just having you around.

I hope that the future brings
Only happiness your way,
And that we will always be
The friends we are today.
                Nona Hansen Baker


111          Christel

You are one I can talk to
To share my thoughts and dreams,
I think that you are one of the best
Or so to me it seems.

I have had many enjoyable hours
Sharing my thoughts with you,
You really seem to excel
In everything that you do.

I have enjoyed your friendship
I hope friends we'll always be,
I think I have been blessed indeed
Because you're a friend to me.
         Nona Hansen Baker


112          Older Houses

We bought an older house
When we needed a place to stay,
We re-modeled and re-built it
In a very special way.
We rebuilt the basement
To give a room to our young boys,
They needed more space to grow in
A place for lessons, leisure and toys.
There was a room for the boys and one for girls
But Vicki wanted one of her own,
So once again we re-modeled
Making another bedroom in our home.
I thought the back of the house
Was in need of much repair,
Another room was added on
It looked like it was always there.
These rebuilders deserve much credit
They've done very much you see,
And I am very indebted to
These builders who re-built for me.
We did the planning and paid them
This house is now our own,
But I'll always be grateful to those
Who helped build my house into a home.


113          Father's Animals

My Father would name his animals
After his relatives and neighbors,
Some of them were flattered
To others this was no favor.

He named one of his horses Charlie
After the husband of his sister,
He said, "If Charlie objects to this
I'll change the name to Mister."

Another horse he called Tottie
A nickname for someone he knew,
He called our female cat Jack,
He had a name for his cows too.

It's hard to remember all the names
Of the animals that we had,
If you have one that needs a name
Then just consult my Dad.
                Nona Hansen Baker


114          Elsie The Cat

My cat Elsie preferred my Father
He fed her when he got up each day,
Whenever he would leave for work
She chose his favorite chair to lay.

He changed the name I called her
He said, "She is no Elsie cat,"
He thought a lot about a name
And then he called her "Jack."

Elsie was never mine alone
She seemed to belong to everyone,
She took turns with all of us
Before her day was done.

I wanted this cat for my very own
She was the first cat I ever had,
She tolerated me more or less
And really preferred my Dad.
            Nona Hansen Baker


115          Buddy

The first little dog that I ever had
Was Buddy, a Spitz who was a stray,
I gave him some food and a dog house
It was then he decided to stay.

We had to keep Buddy tied up
Until after the mailman would come,
He thought barking and chasing the mailman
Was really a great deal of fun.

My friend Lucy was not allowed
To come in the yard when he was free,
I tried to tell him she was a friend
But he would not listen to me.

When Lucy and I would go walking
Buddy would walk at her side,
But he would not let her come in the yard
Thought very often she tried.

Outside the yard, Buddy liked her
She would often reach down and pet him,
She was not allowed inside the yard
I must tie Buddy before she came in.

Buddy and I were the best of friends
We loved to romp and play,
He was one of the best little dogs
That ever came my way.
         Nona Hansen Baker


116          Cynthia

I had a beautiful white creature
That is commonly known as a cat,
She was an angora with big green eyes
She was long and really too fat.

She was a loving companion
Who sought to keep close by,
She seemed to want to please me
In every way she would try.

When a kitten called Mouse came here
She showed much displeasure and too,
They never did become good friends
All of their lives through.

I wanted them to be friendly
I fed them together each day,
They each called a truce while eating
Then each went their own separate way.

This was their home for many years
At meal-times they would share,
But the rest of the time pretended
That the other cat wasn't there.
                     Nona Hansen Baker


117          Sarah The Cat

When Cynthia died, I missed her so
And wanted another like her,
So I found a duplicate
With white angora fur.

Sarah was a lot like Cynthia
A beautiful angora cat,
She too was long and graceful
She also was really too fat.

These cats were very different
In their cat-like ways,
Both cats were very pleasing
And beautified my days.

Sarah never became Cynthia
No pet could take her place,
You can't have the same pet twice
They have to be replaced.

Each pet is individual
That we choose to be our own,
So choose it very wisely
And give it a good home.
       Nona Hansen Baker


118          Molly and Lydia

Molly, the dog and Lydia, the cat
Were not very fond of each other,
When Lydia had a litter of kittens
Molly wanted to help be the mother.

When Lydia left the basket to eat
Molly would hurry to get in there,
When Lydia came back, Molly just stayed
She wanted these kittens to share.

I lifted the dog out of the cat's bed
Several times each day,
Molly went back to the kittens
When Lydia would go away.

The kittens loved having Molly around
They got along well with each other,
I believe that Molly thought
She was their second mother.

The kittens grew up and were given away
And when Lydia had kittens once more,
She met the dog in the hall way
Telling him to stay away from the door.

Just how she told him, I do not know
But Molly did stay away,
Lydia had the kittens all to herself
And Molly never got in her way.
            Nona Hansen Baker


119          Tarzan The Dog

Laurence and Lenore lived in a mining town
There was no vet for miles around,
Tarzan the dog, chased cars each day
Then he was hit while in the way.
The slit in his side was pretty bad
A needle and thread was all they had,
There was no vet to help this pup
Laurence held the dog while he was sewn up.
He laid very still and whimpered some
They babied him 'till the job was done.
They admired their work when it was through
Tarzan was almost as good as new.
Laurence hurried and rebuilt the fence
It was completed at a small expense,
Tarzan was no longer free to roam
He was safe in his fenced in home.
Tarzan's life was better in so many ways
And lived in safety the rest of his days.
           Nona Hansen Baker


120          Jodi's Lamentation

I found Ralph, a toy shepherd
At an animal shelter one day,
And thought he would bring
Such gladness my way.

He was loving and gentle
I was sure he would be,
A very good friend
And companion to me.

He was very faithful
In his dog-like way,
He brought such gladness
To me every day.

I loaned him to Mother
For such a short time,
When I went to get him
She said, "He is mine."

She still has the dog
I had to get me another,
He is no longer mine for
He belongs to my Mother.
          Nona Hansen Baker


121          Shad

My granddaughter brought over
A chow lab one day,
She said: "I can't keep him
He is just in the way,
Will you tend him for me
For a little while . . . ?"
She finished her plea
With a sweet loving smile.

Well, I kept the dog
He was a challenge to me,
I could not believe
What a chore it would be.
He became very protective
We get along with each other,
I believe that he thinks
That I am his mother.
            Nona Hansen Baker


122          Shasta The Cat

In the morning when I get up
I hold Shasta on my knee,
This part Siamese seems so content
Pretending she loves me.

Then I give her a bowl of milk
And some cat food too,
She has her fill and takes a bath
Her time with me is through.

She will follow me from room to room
And oft lay at my feet,
She always purrs to let me know
Her life here is complete.

She will let me stroke her gently
When in her bed she lays,
She will often show affection
In her cat-like ways.

She will choose her time for fondling
Then wants to be left alone,
In her cat-like search for happiness
She has found a perfect home.
       Nona Hansen Baker


123          Pets

Animals are such a pleasure
They bring joy into the home,
When you have pets around
You are never quite alone.

A cat and dog are good companions
The best that they can be,
When you talk, there is no complaint
At least there is none to me.

They show great appreciation
In their dog or cat-like way,
They will bring you happiness
And beautify your day.


124          Dolly

I inherited Dolly
When my sister passed away,
She was a Maltese poodle
I have her still today.

My two dogs accepted her
They all get along quite well,
Their mischievous and funny antics
Are too numerous to tell.

Shadow, the Chow Labrador
Chose her as his best friend,
Ralph, the little toy shepherd,
Had no friendship to lend.

Ralph tolerated her friendliness
But was never too impressed,
But to Shadow, this Maltese poodle,
Spelled his happiness.

Dogs sometimes act like people
In their friendly ways,
They have their likes and dislikes
Their bad, and very good days.

To me, these pets were happiness
They brought much joy to me,
And I have never regretted having
Such lovable pets as these three.
         Nona Hansen Baker


125          Tom Cat

A tom cat brought his kittens
To my neighbor's house to eat,
He sat back and waited
Until their feeding was complete.

These homeless little kittens
Found a place to stay,
My neighbor did not have the heart
To send these cats away.

She took the tom cat to the vet
Making sure there'd be no more,
Of his homeless little kittens
Begging at her door.

Two weeks later gave the tom cat
The freedom he had known,
She kept all the kittens
And sent the tom cat home.
       Nona Hansen Baker


126          Tiger

Are you my tom cat or Sherry's
Or do you have another home,
It seems you spend all your time
Just looking around and roam.

As a stray you found life easy
There is always enough to eat,
Your two good friends have fed you
As you roam around the streets.

You are one to show affection
When kindness is shown to you,
There are many places you can sleep
When your day is through.

You will never have to go hungry
Your friends will see to that,
You are just a stray on the streets
But a very fortunate cat.
                 Nona Hansen Baker


127          Paradise

Earth would be a paradise
If everyone loved each other,
If every parent was worthy
To be a Father and a Mother.

If children were obedient
And let honor rule the way,
It would bring perfection
All along life's way.

There would be such happiness
In our daily lives,
If every Husband was faithful
And showed honor to his Wife.

If every Wife was faithful
to her Husband and showed respect
To him, their children and their friends
And everyone they met.

It would be a paradise
And the Father up above,
Would shower many blessings
With His abiding love.
      Nona Hansen Baker

128          Wealth

You are a very wealthy person
When there is love within the home,
Wherever you go or whatever you do
You will never be alone;
For the memory of your loved ones
Beautify every lonely hour,
And the darkest days will lighten
By memories shining tower.
Love at home is strengthening
Helps you obtain life's goal,
Because it has implanted
Faith within your soul.
         Nona Hansen Baker
 

Winona Hannah (Quibell) Baker Poetry: Index #3
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