HARVEY VAN SHROUT

PHASE 1: THE ARGUMENT

This is the story of Harvey Van Shrout,
Who lived by a motto: 'THROW EVERYTHING OUT.'
Well.... really not everything, some things he'd spare:
His clothing for instance, he'd wash and re-wear.
He wouldn't get rid of today's purchased milk,
Or boxes of soap suds, or ties made of silk.
Most everything else, well they all had to go..
He'd say, "we must throw it, it's useless, you know!"

Now, Harvey is married, a woman named Diasy
Who actually thought that her husband was crazy.
'cause Daisy sees value in all of their things,
Like bottle caps, scrap paper, even in strings.
She'd say, "things have value, it really is true.
All items have worth, they most certainly do."

They'd argue and argue and argue some more,
"Let's keep this old light bulb!"
--------- "You're cluttering the floor!"
"Get rid of that lamp shade!"
--------- "Let's keep this old pen."
"Oh throw it,"
---------"No keep it!.....Once more and again.

And sometimes they'd argue from morning 'till night..
The two very stubborn...
------I WONDER WHO'S RIGHT???

PHASE 2: DAISY'S IDEA

Then Daisy, one morning, got up from her bed.
A brilliant idea floated into her head.
"How very exciting ! it's a notion so smart.
I'll change several throw-outs, make recycled art."

And then she got started , examined some junk,
Stored up in the attic in Grandpa's old trunk.
The stuff in the closets, all things she held dear,
The things Harvey hoped they'd get rid of last year.
She took some old stickers, a valentine heart.
"I'll paste them on cardboard, a decorative chart."

In only six days a collage was all done.
A thing of some beauty;She even had fun.
"And now on to scuptures," said Daisy Van Shrout.
"There's meaning in 'junk' about that I've no doubt."
She crafted a figure with toes in the air;
Another ,from buttons, completed the pair.
And then from these works that she made at the start,
Came elegant pieces of recyled art.

PHASE 3: THE COMPROMISE

Although it is true... the "discard" point of view,
Will keep one's home neater and organized too.
But Harvey was startled, "the things you can do.
The stuff in the trash are reborn into new.

His wife shared the beautiful things that she made,
A figure whose foot was a rusty old blade.
The butterflies done with some old fabric scraps,
The flowers created from candycane wraps.

She showed off her pictures and sculptures designed
From cast aside objects, the things you would find...
In trash cans, then sent to the town garbage heap,
Some objects you might have decided to keep,

All over the world ,in exhibits presented,
Discarded old garbage was well represented.
In art shows , in cities and towns far and near,
A lesson was learned, it became very clear---

Although you can't keep all the objects you own
There's value inside them, their worth can be known.

SO

Before you discard something,
................................................... look and decide
The true inner value the junk has inside.
Indeed, if it 's something you need to reject.
IN YOUR MIND --KEEP ITS MEMORY, ALONG WITH RESPECT.....