Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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43 No Picnic
1
In August nineteen sixty-one,
My Dad had a magnificent plan,
We would take our boat up the Colorado River,
Living off the land.
2
Now, I know it is common knowledge,
That Yuma is the hottest place on land,
But we could always get in the water,
To avoid the burning sand.
3
And we would bring very little food,
Eating only what we caught,
And we’d camp on the baked hill sides,
Under a tarpaulin that we brought.
4
I got a bloody nose,
From the heat and dryness there,
But we couldn’t fail at a survival hike,
For a lack of moisture in the air.
5
You couldn’t even touch the rocks,
That framed the backdrop of our campsite,
But surely Dad and Robert would catch some fish,
And everything would be alright.
6
But the fishing crew came back alone,
With nothing for our plate,
However, Mom had thought ahead,
Bringing out frozen scrimp, which Dad assumed was bait.
7
So after the Sun went down,
It was supper for the crew,
Mom had brought five big potatoes,
And scrimp for the barbeque.