The Button Buzzer
(written about Burney Brown, Sr.)

It happened to a little lad, this story that I tell.
His Ma took sick, and he was sent to Granny for a spell.
His Granny dried his tears, then she calmed his fears.
His dear old Granny cared for him so well.
Now, Granny was a Friend who went to meeting on First Day.
She took the little lad along but warned him not to play.
"Thou must not swing thy feet, and don't squirm in thy seat;
I'll be sitting with the ladies 'cross the way."
He was ushered to the section to sit with the other boys
whose folks weren't strict as Granny, for they carried little toys.
some of them even came with a puzzle or a game,
providing they didn't make a lot of noise.

He looked out of the window and watched a little bird.
The hour was a draggin' by; nobody said a word.
The bench he sat on squeaked, the floor behind him creaked,
but that day not a discourse could be heard.
He searched into his pockets for whatever he could find,
not a trinket or clay marble had he left behind.
At last he found something - it was a length of string.
He tied some knots to occupy his mind.
Then he twisted off a button; the idea was so fine.
He threaded it so carefully upon his piece of twine,
the way he'd seen it done. He soon was having fun.
He twirled and pulled, until it made a dandy whine.
As he recalled, by that time he'd forgotten Granny's rile
when the bigger boys looked his way and then began to smile.
And then it snapped in two - away the button flew!
The straight-faced elders jumped a half a mile.

He feared his Granny's anger;he knew she'd tan his hide.
He also knew that punishment - deserved - he must abide.
Next meeting day he took his fav'rite picture book -
BUT AFTER THAT HE'D STAY BY GRANNY'S SIDE!
-Lillian Arnold Lopez "Pineylore"

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