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A True Story
The singing was nice in the church that day,
As we readied to hear what the preacher would say.
But before he would speak we would have celebration
As a family came forth for a baby dedication.
While the preacher was praying, their child bumped the flowers,
Drenching the floor with un-needed "showers".
The water ran into a vent in the floor
With a loud dripping sound you couldn't ignore.
An elder came in with a pail and a mop
To clean up the mess so the dripping would stop.
He mopped up the water... cleaned up every drop,
Each time making noise when he squeezed out the mop.
The wife of the elder sat by me in choir,
Trying to act "reverent", as manners require.
Though harder and harder she tried not to giggle,
She was shaking so hard she made the pew wiggle.
I was biting my tongue to keep a straight face,
When just then the elder... Without any grace
Backed into the pail, and the water all went
Back onto the floor, dripping into the vent.
The elder's wife "lost it" and now the pew shook.
I stared down in my lap, afraid even to look.
I was laughing so hard, it made my sides ache,
Wondering what the next clean-up would take.
Then once again he started to mop,
As the water in the vent went, "plop, plop, plop".
He finally finished and went out with the pail.
Now the precher could preach and order could prevail.
The preacher kept speaking through all of the fuss.
He tried to stay focused, which was a real "plus".
When the service was over, much to my dismay,
I didn't remember the message that day.
© 2006 Arlene Schwartzkopf
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