Thanks to You, Tennessee
A Poem Written About My First Trip to the South
At once, I thought I didn't know them.
A stranger amongst a stranger crowd.
I found myself a shy little fly amidst
an array of lightning bugs.
Shrouding my heart in not quite darkness,
I hid myself from joy.
Hid from the stars above my bed, and,
most importantly,
From the southern kindness that was
welcoming me in.
And now I fly away, leaving
Traces of myself over fields of
fresh wheat.
Over the lime green trees,
and in the fresh water flowing over
a dam of 1876.
I fly away, taking with me a reflection
of myself that I had not quite seen before.
A reflection that I saw in the smoke
from their cigarettes and in the sparkle
of his bright, blue eyes.
I fly away from the fly that was me
and as the universe wraps me up in its
swirling, universal beauty,
I recognize that I, too, am a
Lightning bug that has finally found its
light in what was once an
undiscovered family —
— in what is now a home that is greener
than home.
And now I find myself writing on the
edge of infinity.
I feel inspired to be creative and start
each day anew, and as each day passes
my heart seems to sing a new melody.
And I think that's all thanks to you,
Tennessee.
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