When the Land called
And my Soul answered,

And when my Intellect
Seemed or seems both
The Cause and the Victim;

When I happen to see
Through other eyes
My Could-Haves:

I thank God for the Truth
That I still Recognize,
For the honest Light
That I still claim as Mine:

And I walk our country
Lane more resolutely;
Relish the scent of
Wood smoke in the wind,
Look upward first then
Outward to the Mountains,
And thank my God for
The Mud upon my Boots.

12/12/2004