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At Home In The Corn Crib
There were cracks in the floor.
I could see the hen and her chicks scratching in the dirt.
No rugs, no pretty painted walls...
Just splintery boards haloed by the sunshine pouring through more cracks.
There were sounds in the dark, unfamiliar yet easy to learn.
The Bob White quail, the mockingbird,
The rooster's crow at dawn,
The jingle of harness as Daddy finished plowing the field.
No ice cream wagon's bell, no friendly neighbor's call...
Just whispering wind in the thick Georgia pines.
There were strange sights in all directions...
Road scrape machines occasionally flattening the rutted dirt trail,
Scurrying wild things invading the house and yard,
Chattering as they scrambled on tiny feet.
No paved street, no houses all in rows with children playing Red Rover...
Just rural landscape in a vast wood filled with untamed creatures.
There were unfamiliar smells, but I grew to love them...
Pine tar's pungent sting, sweet honesuckle, jasmine on the wind,
And the dank thick odor of fermenting leaves my feet churned through the woods.
No automobile exhaust, no factory smoke,
No stink of burned food as Mrs. King prepared supper...
Just clean, natural fragrances that took root in my soul.
I felt abandoned in the rustic country vista...
No children my age, no doting relatives giving needed warmth and attention,
No recreation for a five-year-old...
Just pristine wilderness, unspoiled beauty, peaceful isolation,
And a rendevous with God.
I really love this marvelous, extraordinary description of country life as you knew it in childhood. It is so vivid, it takes me there. I also love the way it brings back memories for me. Very enjoyable writing!
A beautiful breath of the past. A wonderful journey...thank you!
Jessica, This one brought back many memories of senses almost forgotten.Growing up on a farm in rural Kentucky,later,Ohio at exactly the same time.I feel we share many things in common. I loved this one.Spanky