I wonder what the old woodstove would say
if it could tell us of its early days
It saved so many from freezing to death
When the splits and the wood were fired and lit

No lights, no electricity way back then
no modern heaters to blow warm winds
just firewood obtained with lots of hard work
by the sweat of the brow which would cause one to shirk

Give me more wood the old stove would say
so I can boil your kettle and you can have tea
you can also cook a pot of fish and brews
to feed you and your children and that is good news

I remember my dad boiling eggs in a can
for us kids as we played and ran
He would place the can right on the hot embers
just one fond memory I have long remembered

Get up in the morning, the fire out all night
the temperature freezing, a shivering sight
The stove would be cracking and banging so much
as the heat from the flames the cast iron it touched

The wonder of a quick, comforting heat
would stir the mind and bring great peace
The wood collected the evening before
would last 24 hours or more

As wood stoves evolved and new ones came in
We could have a much longer burn by then
Bigger junks of wood and greater capacity
We stuck to the wood heat with greater tenacity

Although getting firewood was trying and hard
we sure enjoyed the comforting reward
with comforting heat, with tea and jam tarts
for we lived among people with generous hearts   Submitted By: NULL