I dwell in a dense thicket with wild, tangled undergrowth in a Midwestern lodge, remote but close to small-town life. I watch seasons change, leaves fall and grass grow.
I am from the rich black soil of Saline County
I am from the one-room school and the “church in the wildwood”
I am from “The Lord helps those who help themselves” and
“Pretty is as pretty does”
I am from planting and harvesting and the frustration of broken equipment
I am from the song of the meadowlark and the cry of the killdeer
I am from hedgerows, fragrant backyard lilacs,and hollyhocks
I am from black cows standing in shallow ponds in summer and
frosted with snow sprinkles in winter
I am from droughts and floods and unpredictable Fahrenheits
I am from the scent of leather saddles and sweaty horses
I am from silky summer dust between bare toes and sloppy spring mud that sucks rubber boots from cold feet
I am from the crackle of khaki cornstalks in September and the indescribable perfume of fresh clover hay in June
I am from the voices of chickens and the rumble of grain trucks
I am from colossal haylofts and the pungent smell of cattle barns
I am from “What chew doin’on my road yestiday night?” and
“Call me if you need anything. . .”
I am from the “roo-al rout” (rural route) and the hum of grain dryers in fall
I am from daily talk of weather and crops and warm-hearted gossip in office break rooms and morning coffee groups
I am from stacks of books and carefully kept yearly journals
I am from barely repressed giggling with best-friend-daughters and the rowdy playfulness of children,
I am from friends of the soul who linger over long lunches and shared lives
I am from house calls, late dinners, phones that ring in the night
I am from listening, listening, listening to tales of broken relationships, and searches for repair
I am from friendly nods of greeting from drivers of pick-ups with gun racks behind their seats and border collies riding in the truck bed.
I am from sweet-natured men who work hard and care deeply
I am from love and laughter with a gentle cowboy from the Old West
I am from the hushed benediction of the prairie sunset
I am from answered prayers and God’s grace above, below, and all around my world
