Country Born

When I have a poem published somewhere, I like to repost it here after the rights revert back to me so you guys can read it easily. That’s the case today. “Country Born” is a little free verse poem that Dos Gatos Press published in their 2013 Texas Poetry Calendar. I love this calendar; I buy one every year, regardless of whether or not I have a poem in it. It’s a by-the-week setup, so I’m guaranteed to read at least one new poem every week, which is just wonderful. This year my poem was next to March 24th. I hope you enjoy!

Country Born

I want my kids to grow up in the country,
barefoot and shirtless with twigs in their hair.

I want them to catch frogs in rain ponds by culverts –
to learn to let them go before they come back home.

I want them to feel the smooth cordage of a horse’s neck
stretching between fence wires for the eternally greener.

I want them to know that the bump and crunch of a gravel driveway
will always mean home.

I want my kids to grow up in the country,
where deeper roots mean taller trees.