The Plains of Dakota

The plains of the Dakotas seem endless With rumors of great mountains to the west And rumors of great lakes to the east But to the proud pioneers who settled here it was home. The sturdy Swedes, the proud Germans, the thrifty Dutch, With mettle stronger than the steel plows That challenged the tangled earth Breakers of sod, conquerors of a vast, empty land To them, the unbroken emptiness of their new home Seemed a welcome relief after fleeing The teeming confines of the overcrowded cities Where their families had first settled and flourished Free to band together and worship in their own way Tight-knit communities sharing the same values Hard work, family first, God, and a good harvest To them the possibilities were endless They felt safe in their sod homes Even as they watched the gathering storm clouds Rise up over the horizon and sweep over their meager shelters And then pass, as though nothing had ever happened. Even when the great flocks of migrating birds Stopped before heading off to rumors of a warmer destination The checkerboard of life continued uninterrupted Season after season, generation after generation The greatness of the wide-open plains Swallowed its conquerors as they rejoiced in its emptiness Content that they had found a new home Safe in the knowledge that the land had finally accepted them