Chesterfield New Hampshire Historical Society
Town Meeting
By
Winifred Watts Cray
There’s nothing like a meeting,
To clear the “verbal” air;
To hear yourself give comment,
With a decided flair!
Citizens and officials
Start to begin to commence;
Some one side or the other,
A few straddle the fence!
Every erstwhile project
Moves you to impart,
All knowledge you possess
Right from the very start.
Though shaky as a leaf,
You voice your opinion.
Flail your arms all about,
While wobbling on your pinions!
Now each staunch supporter
Of your favorite “cause”,
Wriggles in their seats
As your opponent gets applause!
Dare you hope for their allegiance
As you proudly take a stand?
Or will this be just a’case
Of another “also ran”?
Soon the pot starts to bubble,
Then comes to a full boil,
Things get hot and heavy,
Sometimes ending in turmoil.
As the wheel turns slowly,
With vision we can see
Improvement along he way,
Some for you, some for me.
Keep our wits well sharpened,
Get right into the fray;
We’ll all come out well-versed,
More meetings on the way!
Try to keep your coolest “cool”,
And Shore up like the others;
With any kind of luck
You’ll end up with your “druthers”!
On occasion sit and
Just take everything in,
Only you know why you wear
That Cheshire Cat sly grin!
Secretly you bide your time,
Nodding now and then;
You shoot a verbal shot
Into the air again!
Next day you read the news
Because you really care.
“That’s not the way it was,” you say,
“I know, for I was there!”
About the Author
Winifred Cray lived in Chesterfield for 73 years, marrying her husband, Winston, here in 1946. Among many charitable organizations, she was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church, Chesterfield Library, and Chesterfield Historical Society. She was known for her poetry and had two books published. This poem appeared in "Ramblings" (1983). She was also an artist. Her pastoral paintings are displayed locally and throughout the world. She and her husband, who was selectman for 30 years, are buried in West Chesterfield Cemetery.
