Author: Jerry Brotherton
I am The Backyard Poet and I warn you that, not only will I ramble on about nothing but, I have been known to stand upon my soapbox and rant about things I care nothing about just to hear the sound of my own voice. I will try to force my opinion upon anyone willing to pay the slightest attention.
A Snail’s Pace
The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923 and passed through the House of Representatives in 1971 and the Senate in 1972. However, it took until 2020 for 38 of the 50 states to ratify it. On January 17th, 2025, then President Joe Biden declared that the ERA had met the requirements for certification to the Constitution. Today, it still has not been certified, and not all 50 states have yet to ratify it.
it takes a long time
for Ents to say anything
governments need more
Honor Thy Father and Mother
From the sweat
flowing down the laborer’s brow
the cuts and callouses
etched into their hands
the steely determination
engraved on their furrowed faces,
freedom was born and fed.
they should be given
the same respect and admiration,
as any beloved parent is due.
It’s Hard to Let Go
On Christmas day before he died,
I went home to visit my dad.
The house was full of family,
our mood was quite somber and sad.
We drifted in and out the room,
where he lay dying in his bed.,
Each of us sharing memories,
saying the words that needed said.
Those last days perhaps the hardest,
as death became reality.
We made the promise to ourselves,
to hold on to his memories.
We were grasping for any hope,
all my brothers, sisters, and me.
We had not yet convinced ourselves,
it was time to let him be free.
Be free to hunt that long coon hunt,
that will never come to an end.
To dance his jig among his friends,
to lie beside his wife again.
Goodbye my beloved father,
in my heart you will always be.
Place a kiss on my mother’s cheek,
and tell her that it is from me.
Change is Inevitable
It’s been about five and a half years now since my wife and I moved from the wilds of Montana to the slightly less wilds of the Missouri Ozarks. I have to say, there have been many changes to our humble abode through those years. Like removing the 18’ by 32’ swimming pool from the side yard. Which I still have a giant hole in the ground that I use to fill up with spring and after storm cleanup debris. The addition of a 24 x 12 foot Gazebo in the back yard, remodeled kitchen, converting the screened in back porch into a usable living space, turning half the garage space into a working office and more. Even after all these projects, it seems like my work is never finished. But that’s life. As they say, it’s not over until it’s over.
with each step forward
the world around us will change
for better or worse
Jerry Brotherton 