By David Skiles
Sawyer, Kansas farmer and poet
Specail to the Tribune

Winter’s Settin’ In

I hear the sleet on the window pane…

Winter’s settin’ in…

The clock just struck at three a.m…

And the winter’s a settin’ in…

It’ll be a bit…’for the sun’ll rise again…

I checked the weather to see the blow…

They say we’re in for a pile of snow…

Cause th’ winter’s a settin’ in…

The fire is lit and burning bright…

All the critters are tucked in tonight…

The temp is cold with the chillin wind…

For tonight… winter’s a settin in…

Guess I’ll roll over…tuck my shoulders in…

Try to get more sleep ‘for the day begins…

When I’ll shovel snow an’ scatter salt…

Cause th’ winter’s a settin’ in…

.dbs. 1-5-2025

A frosty winter day!

On a frosty winter day

When inside I want to stay

Outside the snow is blowing cold

And the temp is near zero :

By the fire I warm my feet

But know my cows they need to eat!

Out the door my pup took a peek

And back to bed I see her sneak !

plumbing outside don’t work she said,

As she curled tighter in her bed!

But the wind it still blows,

And I know the water tank is froze!

I look to the eastern skies,

And find the sun forgot to rise!

There instead are drifts of snow

As the frigid bitter winds still blow!

And so with coffee on to brew

My fire stoked and warmer too!

I’ll don boots and coats and all,

To head outside as chores do call!

I’ll feed the cows and chop some wood,

The winter air is crisp and good!

Until inside again I meet,

That fire and let it warm my feet!

As I walk through the wintry snow

I’m thankful the Lord with me does go!

But today as the winter winds do blow,

And I see the drifting of the snow:

I’ll look ahead to another day,

For Spring is only weeks Away!

But until then when the wind is cold,

Inside is where you’ll find me holed!

dbs. 2-3-2022

Even my Deepfreeze

I went to light a fire…when the temp got low…

After I let the dogs out… to play in the snow…

In the laundry room…I heard a mournful moan…

It was my freezer…letting out a groan…

And as I lit that fire… I seem to hear a thanks…

From that freezer… this’s really not a prank…

For it had been a work’n… to warm the inside stuff…

And keep it up to freezing…a job that’s really tuff…

Yes outside winter comes…an’ the temp drops to low…

And when the dogs go out… don’t take ‘em long to go…

The cattle fluff their fur… and tuck tails to the wind…

Everyone a wishin’… for spring to come again…

Our cats are fat and fluffy… and sleep within the hay…

In fact it was so cold… the chickens forgot to lay…

I must be going crazy…to hear the freezer groanin’ …

Tryin’ to stay warm enuf’ …to keep the frozen…frozen…

.dbs. 1-6-2025