A Time Past

There’s something very special about country life It took me back to when things were so slow I would sit under a tree with an apple and a pin knife Gazing out over the corn and counting each row The gnats during the day would not let me rest As I laid out on the weather-beaten porch to nap They were a nagging nuisance and unwelcomed guests I killed a dozen every time my small hands clapped Rose early in the morning to get the chores done The summers were so hot; you got weak from the heat If I wanted to go hunting, Papa loaned me his shotgun He grew lots of fruit trees on the land; a satisfying treat I brought home a squirrel or rabbit for the woodstove Grandma Hattie would skin and cook it before sunset Gathered up some of the best peaches from the grove She made a cobbler as close to heaven as you could get Took a shortcut by the mill, a rock’s throw from our barn If I wanted a cool drink, I went down to the river banks I sat next to old Ms. Katie as she spun thick nylon yarn At supper time, we bowed our heads to give God thanks Papa chewed his snuff as the crickets chirped outside Harmonizing the most mournful songs the entire night We hitched up the buckboard wagon for an evening ride Listening to him tell ghost tales until I peed from fright It’s been so long ago; the house swallowed up by decay Remembering those memories from a long time past Loving, amusing anecdotes that I cherish to this day Wanted it to stay the same; so, hoped it would last