By
Walt Nieland, Carroll, Iowa
As I pondered in my youth
All about my first loose tooth
Of worldly goods and earthly fame
And wondered how I got my name
As time went by a few short years
I came to know the classroom jeers
I had my share of strife and tears
And found my place among my peers
Then finally came into my teens
That's when I learned I had genes
I'd lie away whene'er it stormed
And figure how relationships were formed
Then in my twenties I vowed never to defame
To sully, or tarnish the family name
I've stifled every thought of trick or stealth
And rejected all ill gotten wealth
And to my children as they came
I gave to them the family name
For them to cherish and hold dear
And never from the upright path to veer
And now as my sager years dictate
I find I really can appreciate
The effort that one makes to keep
The things in life that are never cheap
Remember things won't be the same
If you do not your impulses tame
You may never make the Hall of Fame
But I beg you to protect your family name.
