I gave up the world travel, the fire fighting done
I took myself back to my home, An’ I’m’a gonna have some fun
To sip diet pepsi, with an ol’ airplane I'll play
Until Gabriel blows the trumpet, An’ they lay me away.

I fed the horses every day, An’ rode ‘em ‘roun’ a bit
I have time to do what want To dig post holes, or sit.
Welpt, things they got to goin’ bad I’d laugh, an’ then I’d weep
My wife, she called upon our vet, To have me put to sleep.

I went to Puerto Rico, To fly a DC four
Out to islands all aroun’, an’ come back home for more.
But the airplane, it was really junk, an’ I tol’ the boss “jus’ No”
Across two huntret miles o’ sea, I ain’t gonna go.
So a friend of mine, he offers up A job of fixin’ planes
I get to travel ‘roun’ a bit, an’ I’m workin’ once again

I have a neat little twin, to haul my stuff aroun’
An’ I do inspections, an’ fixin’ up, In lot’s of western towns
I seen Mitts up there in Billingburg, couple o’ times this year
An’ been to Californey, (which ain’t a cause to cheer)
But, I’m still doin’ what I do, an’ airplanes still my life
Ever’ weekend she comes o’er, an’ I get to see my wife
Retirement’s an evil word, I ain’t the type to sit,
An’ in me’s quite a bit o’ stuff, but not one jar of “quit”

Good for you, Terry. I can't sit around retired, either. Gotta be doing something worthwhile. Taught middle school English for a few years, wrote for a local magazine, and volunteered at a food bank since I hung up the system's architect hat a few years ago. Looking for something new again.

Fine poem.

Joe

PS. You should try Coke Zero...much better than diet Pepsi.

but coke zero wouldn't fit on the line as well. Thanks man... I have a good friend, teacher, pulled the plug,, stayed retired seven days and went back to work on the reservation teaching PE to Mescalaro Apache kids.
My dad retired, then he and another old codger bought 40 acres and put in a horse ranch. Everyone knew they wouldn't part with a horse, so they turned it into a riding stable. What it cost you to ride depended on how many kids you had, and what kind of car you showed up in. A doctor came in his Caddie with two kids.. ten bucks each,, another guy showed up with about five kids in an old ford station wagon,,, one dollar for the whole bunch. They both lived ten years longer than they would have.

well of course i like when i show up in someone else's poem, but really what i like about this poem is your energy and choice of words. a jar of quit- well, that made my day.

and joe, it is good to hear from you in here. it seems none of us know how to be still. i've spent the past years working 4 jobs. and then when i got it narrowed down to just one- well, i started up a collage company as a second job and now barely have time to show up with twoten comes to town.

Terry, does this cut back by the FAA on small airports effect the casual flier? Looks like they're going to have fewer air traffic controllers.
Atwater is one of the airparks effected.

Les

In my job I mostly use eleven airports, two have towers. At the other nine you look for other airplanes, find the windsock and land. Just like you'd do in your car. The cutback on the FAA is a godsend to the casual flyer. The money used on airports are mostly self generated.

I was doing my taxes today and saw the line for the pension was up to nearly $800: I keep paying it, even though I never intend to be able to use it. My grandfather worked until he died and my dad should have; at least it would have been clean.

I think my mind would walk away from me if I ever quit working. Or I would have to finally write something longer than a poem.

I'm working on a book, without violating confedentiality clause.