L

My Neighbors Leaves

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For years my neighbors leaves have been dropping onto my yard,
It seems so wrong that I have to clean them up working so hard.
This poem reviews a little history and my thoughts on the subject
Of this annual event with increasing costs to which I often object.

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My Neighbors Leaves

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I have neighbors with Oak Trees in their front yards so near.
One is just west of me with the tree hanging over my yard here.
The other is across the street hanging over the Grandview Road.
These are big healthy Oak Trees with leaves by the bus load.

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Each fall my neighbors leaves fall off of their trees all dried out hard.
Ninety five percent of those leaves fall into or blow into my yard.
And these leaves lay there all winter until spring comes along,
And I have to clean all my neighbors leaves up off of my lawn.

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Thanks, thanks a lot neighbors..

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I did this chore myself for many long years removing tons of leaves.
Raking and sacking those leaves from all over by rolling up my sleeves.
Each year I sacked about 60 thirty three gallon sacks to be hauled.
After a two day period of hard work, I felt like I had been mauled.

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.They’re packed tight on the ground too.

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When I began to have health problems, I looked for other ways,
To clean up my neighbors leaves during my weakened days.
I hated this, but I just no longer had any other reasonable choice.
So I started looking for someone to do the job I could employ.

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Come and get your dang leaves neighbors.

 

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The first year a young woman came to our door requesting the job,
Stating she had two girls and needed money to feed her mob.
She said she would do the job for $200 and I said go ahead.
They worked hard two days and finally finished looking half dead.

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She said she had underestimated the job and I agreed with her,
So I gave her $250 dollars and she went on her way in a blur.
Now cleaning up my neighbors leaves was costing me real cash.
And for the very first time, it really did burn my old wrinkled ass.

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Since that time ten years ago, it has cost me more each year,
To clean my neighbors damned leaves up, I do solemnly swear.
But I guess I can not legally recover a penny of my costs incurred,
Even if I’ve cleaned the oak leaves 34 times each year it occurred.

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How did all these Oak leaves get on your patio?  I guess they fell in here.

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I told my daughter Kristi I would pay her $400 to clean up leaves,
This year as that is what I have to pay the lawn guy I believe.
So she is coming over tomorrow to start on the job this year.
I can’t help her much, but I will be hanging around the yard to cheer.

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Wow, this is going to take a while.

 

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Perhaps this year we will stack the sacks in my neighbors yard,
To return the leaves to the rightful owners for them to discard.
This will save us a cost of a dollar a bag for the trash man to haul.
But I suspect that my reckless actions might really chap them all.

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.You could help a little Dad.

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So I guess we will just grin and bear the cost of leaf removal,
As we always have in the past with only our internal disapproval.
So we will continue to like our neighbors and give them our love,
And hope we are doing the right thing with some help from above.

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By Bill

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Thanks for reading My Neighbors Leaves,
Bill