Carlos the Young Coffee Picker

(1)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Was missing one brown eye
But he and shy Maria
Still liked to play "I spy"!

(2)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Smelled the coffee beans
How rich was their aroma
One fit for even queens.

(3)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Said that he was tired
His mom said, "Best pick till six
Or brother you'll be fired."

(4)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Tried not to snicker
It's just that shy Maria
Would soon be "Mamma Mia".

(5)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Tried to learn to dance
But every time he jumped a foot
He'd almost lose his pants!

(6)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Took his beans to town
En route he crossed a wide river
And tried not to drown.

(7)
Carlos the young coffee picker
One day took quite sick
His mom instead of scolding him
Went in his place to pick.

(8)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Felt the tender coffee leaves
He loved his coffee farm and plants
More than Colombian Christmas Eves.

(9)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Met a city slicker
This one asked to smell a bean
But Carlos wasn't so keen.

(10)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Played a serenade
Maria had just given birth
Nine pounds the wee thing weighed!

(11)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Finds it hard to cry
Where he lives is macho land
No sobs until you die.

(12)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Gives his mom his pay
Both are saving for the house
They plan to build one day.

(13)
Carlos and all the coffee pickers
Stay home when it rains
Carlos helps to mind the kids
And their aches and pains!

(14)
There's a bonfire dance on Friday night
For the pickers and their mates
Rice, roast pig, blood sausage, beer
It's the sausage Carlos hates.

(15)
Carlos rose early and went to the stream
Maria walked the kids to mass
When it was nearing time for lunch
Carlos appeared with a bass.

(16)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Lived a happy life
Every thing in moderation
Except, he said, vacation.

(17)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Spied a ladybug
She crossed one plant leaf then another
Was she a daughter or a mother?

(18)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Enjoys a pig's feet lunch
He dips each foot in a hot green sauce
When he bites there's always a crunch.

(19)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Has never seen New York
He's never eaten Chinese food
Nor dined without a fork.

(20)
The only hunting Carlos does
Is when he needs some fishbait
He catches the day's wriggly worms
Then makes them wait and wait!

(21)
One day Carlos met "Juan Valdez
He considered it quite a treat
What they talked about's an easy guess:
You're on the mark”pigs' feet!

(22)
Carlos the coffee picker's family
Loves to eat tamales
But only on the Sabbath days
Or wedding days or birthdays!

(23)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Made breakfast for the gang
The ones who like his fish fin soup
Queued up for a nice big scoop.

(24)
An uncle of Carlos's lived in Lyon
Who missed the coffee-town life
So once a year he'd fly in to visit
And dance with an old ex-wife.

(25)

Carlos the young coffee picker's mutt
Has fleas from tail to head
Carlos has tried every remedy known
To make those runts drop dead!

(26)

Carlos the young coffee picker
And his Maria bicker
They fuss about rising prices
As Carlos has no vices.

(27)

Carlos goes to the hacienda house
To ask for extra work
The mistress likes the picker's pep
As well as his old dog Shep.

(28)
Carlos the young coffee picker
Could not pick one day
He was riding on the float
Of the Coffee Queen that May.

(29)
Carlos took the family out
Friday night had come
Maria wanted a special dessert
Coffee cake with rum.

(30)
Carlos avoided bars and joints
He liked his peace and quiet
He also like the new cartoons
One he thought a riot.

(31)
Carlos's mom at the Coffee Bank
Was checking their amount
She found each peso safe and sound
Thank God she'd learned to count!