The Adventures of Billy, A Kid

a poem by Codey

1.  
2. Billy, a kid, is five years old
3. and lives out on a ranch.
4. Billy is the bravest of the brave,
5. not afraid to take a chance.
6. He jumped off of the old red shed
7. into a pile of straw below.
8. His face was plastered with a smile
9. as he shouted "GERONIMO!!!!"
10. When he climbed out of that pile of straw,
11. the same smile was on his face.
12. He then took off towards the barn
13. with the dogs a giving chase.
14.  
15. On the way to the barn he got distracted
16. by a lizard with a long floppy tail.
17. It wasn't long until he and the dogs
18. were hot on that lizards trail.
19. Thru the sage and thru the grass
20. that lizard didn't stand a chance.
21. Billy grabbed the lizard and the lizard bit Billy
22. then Billy did a funny little dance.
23. Seeing its chance for freedom,
24. the lizard hid in a big  pile of rocks.
25. Billy searched and searched but the lizard was gone
26. but he did find an old tin box.
27.  
28. Billy came running across the yard,
29. that box clutched to his breast.
30. "Gramps! Codey! Look what I found!
31. I think it's a treasure chest!"
32. "That box holds more than treasure," Gramps said,
33. "and is worth much more than gold.
34. The box holds some of my memories,
35. I buried it when twelve years old."
36. Then Gramps pulled out his pocketknife
37. and gently pried off the lid.
38. Inside we found some papers
39. and a picture of Gramps as a kid.
40.  
41. We thought, after seening the papers and picture,
42. "This seems like a cool thing to do!"
43. So off we went on a treasure hunt
44. for pictures and  mementos too.
45. After placing our treasures in the box,
46. the lid was firmly replaced.
47. Then back to the rocks, Billy carried the box
48. with our memories safely encased. 
49. We reburied the box in that pile of rocks
50. so that, in a future time,
51. it would be there, carefully hidden,
52. for another kid to find.
53.  
54. Then Billy saw an old momma cat,
55. sitting and cleaning her fur
56. He knew she had kittens in the barn
57. and he was determined to find where they were.
58. He searched the whole barn over,
59. both up the ladder and down.
60. And, finally, behind some bales of hay,
61. the kittens all were found.
62. But then his mom called " Supper!!"
63. so he didn't have time to play,
64. and he knew, as soon as he left,
65. they'd be moved to a new hiding place
66.  
67. But there'd always be tomorrow
68. to launch another search.
69. he'd change his clothes and start the hunt
70. as soon as he got home from church.
71. Suppertime was noisy,
72. as Billy told us his tales.
73. He told us all about his day
74. and left out no details.
75. But as the evening grew quiet,
76. Billy began to nod his head.
77. "Bath time Billy," his momma said,
78. "and then it's off to bed."
79.  
80. He gathered up his bath toys,
81. including his rubber frog, Toady.
82. "I've got to go take a bath now," he said,
83. "or I'll be stinking like Jon and Codey."
84. I laughed and smacked his butt,
85. as he left to take his bath,
86. he turned around and looked at me,
87. as if I'd done something rash. 
88. He only thought for a second,
89. then he told me with a smirk,
90. "Ha ha ha, you hit like a girl,
91. and that didn't even hurt!
92. Now you have to read me a story," he said,
93. "before I'll go to bed!"
94.  
95. Billy complained, as usual,
96. about having to go to bed.
97. but before too long, he was fast asleep,
98. with the story not even half read.
99. Billy the kid gladdens my heart
100. in a way that can no other.
101. He reminds me that life's an adventure,
102. and I'm glad he's my little brother.
103. Thru him, I see a slice of my past
104. and all the things I did,
105. and I'm happy I have a small little role, 
106. in the adventures of Billy, a kid.