This Was Home

The strobe light, brighter than the day,

There, high above the desert floor,

Beckoned to us, as if to say,

“Come, only a few minutes more!”

*

That brilliant point of pulsing light

Sparked wonder in the passersby,

Steadfastly flashing, day and night,

Enticing them to ponder, “Why?”

*

For those of us returning home,

Its purpose and its message clear;

It beamed a promise, “Though you roam,

A hearth and home await you here.”

*

Today, the traveler sees naught

But barren plains of sage and sand.

What once was there is long forgot,

Razed clean, like stubble, from the land.

*

But to the bold and hardy ones

Who tamed the resource from the ground,

And raised bold daughters and brave sons,

The echoes from those plains resound.

*

The life we carved from those vast plains

Was rich and full and halcyon.

Our imprint on the land remains,

Although the light is long, long gone.

***

Author's Note: The plant in the photo above and the company village that housed its workers and their families only exist in memories now. While it was there, 35 miles from civilization, the beacon that flashed from the tower in the photo was a warm welcome home for us as we topped the final hill on the highway to see it there.

Written for the Vocal challenge: