Old Homestead

seen from the highway traversing backroads in central south dakota the framework of an old homestead a carapace more than a structure in the distance gnarled limbs held rusted barbed wire in place as fence scant distance from the homestead's weathered shell still standing proud a decades old Aermotor windmill. it filled a galvanized tank guarding life giving water for far grazing cattle golden crisp prairie grasses spread far as an eye could survey weathered bond of the homestead's walls stood--relics of another age hardened and annealed from daily immersion in plains weather noble despite capitulating to time. in the minds eye he sees the windmill at Little Reata from the movie "Giant" as light faded welcoming the dusk he could see the youthful Jett Rink climbing its ladder rising to gain the platform-then squatting to survey his empty land the silhouette of Jett's sharp-cut features visualized more than open grassland Jett envisioned an empire. the visitor kept mementos of a unique bygone era. old homestead 9-29-16