Summer In Ames

A voice inside said,
come, come back
to the place where
my college years
started.
Burnt out
I came back
from college
in Cedar Falls
for the summer
to a familiar place,
and I was reborn.
Six others and I stayed
in the fraternity
working summer jobs.
The quiet bars near campus
and familiar places
echoed memories
of the bustle
of fall and spring semesters.
But now I sought
a sense of peace,
and two geese swam
on Lake Laverne
near the Memorial Union.
The sun reflected on sidewalks
that crisscrossed
the university campus
journeys taken
of myself and others
to discover who we were.
In the midst of classes
and changing measures,
and I found my place,
although I knew
my life would take
me somewhere beyond.
But for now
the voice that said transfer
two years earlier
called me back.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

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Dietrich Avatar
July 20, 2022 at 7:57 PM
love this meditative piece, and I know I've been to Ames. I just don't precisely remember it, but I bet it's much like many other places I visited in my Iowa childhood
Rodrigues Avatar
July 20, 2022 at 12:53 PM
This was well-placed: But now I sought a sense of peace, and two geese swam on Lake Laverne near the Memorial Union. & the final lines told us a bit more! Great!
Pandit Avatar
July 20, 2022 at 10:47 AM
Wonderful, reflective poem, Mike--some memories are keepsake and we can never forget them. Treasure the beloved place, Mike.
Buhagiar Avatar
July 20, 2022 at 8:58 AM
Oh those memories we should never lose and the thoughts of serenity. Loved this poem.
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