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Quite A Lesson

—for Don Boller

Don’s stepdad roused him and the other boys
to milk the cows. Lie in bed too long
the threat of a licking carried up the stairs. 
But if he mishandled the milkers,
she’d kick.

Quite a lesson.

In season, he drove the Case tractor to plow and cut hay.
Take care going up the road ‘cause she’s expensive 
and there’s no easy fix. Once, he turned her
into a tree, nearly panicked for fear of 
losing his ass. 

Quite a lesson.

At the Grange Fair, a friend walked up and said,
“Don, go over by the main building. 
There’s someone waiting for you.” Lois struck up
a conversation that formed a family and a business
built on love and hard work. 

Quite a lesson. 

Whether you were mom and dad in your Sunday best 
or a trailer park kid running amok on a Saturday searching
for a bathroom, Don Boller’s Dairy Queen always
welcomed you with a handshake or a milkshake.
“Be friendly. They’ll remember.”

Quite a lesson.

©2021 by Peter Buck