Name Game
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When I was growing up in the Texas Panhandle ,there were things,
That had these very unusual names that seemed kind of strange.
If you know seven or more, I know you must be a Texan for sure,
Less than seven, and you never lived there, that I can assure.
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Name Game
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Dust Devil, Mesquite Bean, and Goathead are the first three,
Red Eye Gravy, Vinegaroon, and Hedgeapple are next you see.
Waterdog, Doodlebug, and Buffalo Gourd are the last of the bunch.
Well, how many did you know; not too many I have a little hunch?
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I added an extra verse in here so you wouldn’t cheat just a bit
By looking at the definition verse and the nice picture below it.
You should have decided how many names you think you know,
So move right on down and let’s get on with the Name Game show.
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A Dust Devil is a small whirling wind like a little baby tornado.
That kicks a lot of dust way on up there as high as the wind goes.
We used to chase them and run right into the center of them,
Getting dirt in our eyes, hair, and clothes as we jumped on in.
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A Mesquite Bean is a bean that grows on the mesquite bush,
They grow wild almost every where in the Panhandle of Texas.
Indians used them for a staple food when they roamed the land,
I tried to eat some one time, but the beans I just could not stand.
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A Goathead is a spiked sticker that is so painful you want to cry.
They grow on green vines then get hard when they get dry.
When stepped on, the long spikes drive very deep into the heel,
Causing so much misery as that sharp deep pain you did feel.
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My Mom made Red Eye Gravy every time she fried some ham.
She mixed the drippings with coffee and flour stirring by hand.
We poured the gravy over the fried ham and the mashed potato,
Ummmm, that old red eye gravy was so good and I do miss it so.
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The Vinegaroon is a mean looking insect that scared me a lot,
They are harmless as some people pick them up on the spot.
But I always passed them by when I saw them on the ground.
They look a little like a scorpion with no stinger when found.
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The Hedgeapple is a big fruit that grows on a small bushy tree.
They look good hanging there so big, round, green, and free.
But they taste so bad and we never found a use for them at all,
Other than picking them and throwing them around as a ball.
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A Waterdog is a salamander like amphibious animal so strange
Spending most of the time under water where they do range.
They must come up for air when they need a breath after a wait.
They are the best thing I ever found for trot line channel catfish bait
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A Doodlebug is an insect that makes traps for red ants he eats,
He flips his body doodling out a hole with loose sides so neat.
The ants go in, then can’t get back up the very loose dirt sides.
The doodlebug uncovers and eats them alive before they die.
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The Buffalo Gourd grows wild on a long vine all around home,
All over my home land where the Buffalo often used to roam
I guess the Bison used to eat them back in those golden times.
This concludes the Name Game, how did you do with this rhyme.
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By Bill
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Thanks for reading Name Game,
Bill