The Highways and the Byways

The Highways and the Byways
By Franklin Price
10/27/2107
(Inspired by Nancy McIntyre Stepp)

 The highways and the byways
Of this life in which we've grown
Bring back many memories
Of  places we have known

The Interstates most boring
They bypass most the towns
The back roads way of  living
And the country sights and sounds

We travel now from tank to tank
As fast as we can go
Many exits tempting
To go the way we used to know

We really have to get there
Where ever there may be
Don't have the time to see the sights
That in our youth we used to see

Two lane roads that sometimes share
The space with horse drawn carts
The smell of fresh mown hay in fields
That once had our minds and hearts

Dammit let's just do it
The next exit is the place
We'll get back to the byways
And from this high speed race

We see the sign for “Once Was there”
The exit is a mile
We're going back to memories
And a time that made us smile

Off we go in search of youth
And how things used to be
Do such places still exist?
We'll see what we will see.

There is the city limit sign
Now a wide spot in the road
With just a little country store
And the owner's small abode

The railroad tracks are  rusty
No trains for many years
I think I see a side track
And a factory appears

The factory's old and  leaking
Every time it storms and rains
There are no longer workers
As the tracks that have no trains

Just outside the little town
With the little country store
We come upon great farmlands
A thousand acres, sometimes more

Air conditioned tractors
Large as  a semi-truck
Farming scientifically
Not by the almanac and luck

Not seeing what we're looking for
Wonder why we came this way
Think we'll go a little farther
A little patience, now, may pay

What do we spy just up a head
Trees shading most the lanes
Not like the closed up factory
The rusty track, and missing trains

Hoping there is more to come
We slow to see what we can see
There is an antebellum home
Just where it used to be

A well kept home, a happy place,
For the residents and us
Still there as in our younger days
When we came by on the bus

The wheels are singing on the road
The miles go slowly by
We find ourselves relaxing
Don't even have to wonder why

Speed limit sign says forty
The trance of joy soon leaves my face
The blue light from the small town cop
Say a speed trap is in place

We were looking for the good old times
Should  remember this when done
A small town source of revenue
Ticket comes at forty-one

We'll now look out for speed traps
They don't give us any grace
We paid our fifty dollars
So we could leave that place

We traveled farther into town
Nice homes on either side
Well kept yards of country grass
This place is quite the ride

Not long before we're downtown
Old shops are on the street
There's no sign of  a Wal-Mart
We need to find a place to eat

Up ahead we see a sign 
'“Best place for home made pie”
We pull into a parking place
To see the reason why

When entering we see a sign
“ We would like to make this clear
Save some room for home made pie
After all, that's why you're here”

The menu's on a blackboard
Just above the pass through door
Fried chicken , and fried okra
Fried country steak and so much more

Fried gizzards, and fried livers
Fried potatoes. onions too
Green tomatoes that also fried 
Fried's the country thing to do

Oil's made to lubricate
It is your auto's guard
We don't ruin food by using it
That's why we cook with lard

We finished all our gizzards
Had some chittlins just for fun
Left some space for a piece of pie
But only space for one

They had strawberry rhubarb
That's as country as can be
It was the best we ever had
They had not lied you see

We paid the tab and left a tip
Out the door for under ten
We'll stop to have the worlds best pie
If we come this way again

The sun is set and dusk is done
Store lights are blinking out 
The streets rolled up at eight o'clock
That's what country's all about.

We're full and tired of driving
Must  find the Interstate
No motels on the byways
We  remembered that too late

Hope you saw while reading
That I used the royal we
Wanted to bring you all along
To the roads that used to be


Epilogue
Remember how it used to be
Get off the Interstate
Slow down a little in your life
You'll find it's more than great

 Get off the super highways
And when stopping at the light
Find some new adventure
By turning left or right

If you're happy in your travels,
And you're the only one to say,
If you traveled where you wanted
And you went your chosen way

When the sun sets in the western sky
And each person's day is done
Don't have regrets for what you missed
Don't be the coulda, shoulda one

adventurehappinesstravelrhyme

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