"WHO IS MY STEP-FATHER?"
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Well, his name is Flemming Longfellow Zebedee,"
"who married my mother Christine from a hollow."
"One problem, she had eight hungry small chickadee."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Zebedee knew that he had to feed us skinny folk."
"He said, "I must stretch these pinto beans further."
"Tending to his hot coal fire, my mother never spoke."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Zebedee is a very tall man with huge strong hands."
"We feared he might use them, if he got mad at my brother."
"His black belt looked like wide stretched rubber bands."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"My mother said, "this man I’m gettin’."
"You kids are not going to mess this up either."
"That is why his long black socks, I’m knittin’."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Zebedee said, "Chris, what must we do?"
"Well, Zeb, you and I will flee to yonder."
"Get married before they can sneeze at you."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"That is what Zeb and mama did, yes sir."
"The two of them ran out of the hollow,"
"and went up town before Judge Joe Brother."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Standing in a short line to say, I do."
"While we were at home alone, why bother."
"We could have come down with the flu."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"That was their first priority to elope."
"Not the messy diapers of Bob, my little brother,"
"whose diapers hung from my window by a rope."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Zeb and my mother did not go to the Bahamas."
"No, they just went up town running from my sister."
"Wearing their wedding clothes under their pajamas."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"They pulled a good one on the eight of us."
"Well, as another year goes by, he has gotten wiser."
"It was too late for us to make a big fuss."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"Zeb’s agenda was to be the best dad in town."
"He is; my mom did not have to look any further."
"She was the one that whipped us with a frown."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"She kept all of us in line like the Marines and the Army."
"Cracking her three plaited green switches at my sister."
"Zeb could not stand our pain, suffering, or adversity."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"However, sometimes he came to our rescue."
"When my mother would seek switches from another."
"Person next door, then Zeb, my dad raised his hand on cue."
"Who is my Step-Father?"
"With all this said and done, he finally cut the cord."
"When the last one Michelle, said good-bye to our mother."
"Suddenly, Michelle did an about-face, mother said, "my Lord!"
Marva L. Dowdin, the oldest chickadee
Copyright (c) June 14, 1999
Reason for writing:
My Step-father passed in October 2000. He was dear to my heart. We all loved him dearly. He married my mother even though she had eight children. That did not matter to him. We were just like his own. He will be missed by all.
Birth sign: Pisces
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