Boyhood Memories

Carolina home In the great Palmetto State Place where I was born Boy was free to roam On a ninety-acre farm Free from fear and harm In dirt, sand or mud We sandlappers had it all To work, play, or brawl Turning the dark dirt Putting the hounds on the trail Tussling with cousins Having dirt clog fights Making toys out of pine bark Plowing fertile fields Running through the pines Wading through the boggy swamp Swinging from a vine Down in muddy swamp Turtle is called a “cooter” Anglicized slave word So my cousin says Parents were missionaries Belgian Congo Many days have gone Much water under the bridge Since I left that home Days of yesteryear Now, home is where I reside But memories last