Each month that comes along
Reminds me of something from my past.
January, February, March
Winter months that last and last.

April, May and June
I always liked these pretty well.
July and August, too hot to even breathe.
But September; well there are stories to tell.

I always hated to see this month come in.
As school would be another year tougher.
But even worse than that for me
Was the hayfever I would always have to suffer.

From the last of August until freezing time.
I could expect to sneeze and weep.
It was not uncommon for me in those days
Four or five handkerchiefs in my pockets keep.

Sneeze and weep, sneeze and wipe.
That’s what I did from morning til night.
My eyes were itching all the time
And in the mornings the lids were stuck tight.

Then sometimes at night if it had rained
A touch of asthma would be my lot.
Mother would sit up very late with me
To fix cocoa or something else that was hot.

One thing that often helped a little
Was an ugly green powder that could be lit
To make huge clouds of smoke to inhale.
Asthmador was the name of it.

And another Asthmador product I also used.
I thought I was so grand
To be the only one in elementary school
With a cigarette in my hand.

Well, September always ended
And soon my nose would no longer run.
Then no more excuses would I have
To keep from getting homework done.

Now, I really must confess to you
That hayfever wasn’t completely bad.
It is true that I was miserable
And often made others very mad.

My folks spent lots of money on cures like
Honey comb and extract of petals from a rose.
And little cotton filled filter things
That I was supposed to wear in my nose.

Well, of all the cures that didn’t work
There was one that was really neat.
I got to go to the movie show
Where there was an air conditioned seat.

jhs