'Never!

Never!!

Ever!!!',  said Grandma,

 

'Stand behind a horse

Out of its line of vision

Close to its hooves!

 

Lean over the rain barrel

To slurp a drink

No matter how high the water level!

 

Go across the pasture

Into the pine woods

At twilight!

 

Poke a hornet's nest

With a stick

Even if it looks empty!

 

Disturb a pile of dried needles

Looking for chipmunks.

Pine snakes are huge!

 

Touch Grandpa's burning oil lamp.

The barn would go up like tinder

And you inside it.

 

Run in the cow shed.

The floors are slippery

And the gutters full of dung.

 

Never, never, ever disobey me.

I want you SAFE and ALIVE.

Preferably not covered with shit.'

 

And we never, never, ever

Disobeyed her 

Because she was right.

 

And she had terrible stories to prove it

If we were foolish enough

To challenge her.

 

Including her own crippled leg

And her sister with only one eye.

And a small gravestone across the road.

 

Well - maybe just once.

I did run in the barn

And I fell into the gutter.

 

Oh, yee-uck!!!