Back to What's In Their Bones

[couchgrouch]

Back to What's In Their BonesShe survived her mama's car crash, deep in high Georgia pinesraised up by her aunt n uncle, 'long the Canadian borderlineshe'd hear the winds-a-howlin', 'cross barren plains of snowthey sounded desp'rate and savage, next to pinetrees singing lowone night she snuck out, caught a Greyhound southwhere turquoise towers hide the skiesand words of those trees, on a midnight breezewere a mother's whispered lullabiescos the call of timber and it's lonely tonelead her back to what's in her boneshe once sailed a Navy vessel, where oceans kissed the dawnhe came to worship the water, Pacific winds walked uponso the sweet pension they sent him, after thirty salty yearscouldn't fill sails of his heart, or stem the tide of tearsso he dreamt of waves, took what he'd savedbought an old tub with his last dimehe'd sail out at night, look back on his lifestanding tall upon the stern of timecos the moon skipping 'cross the sea like a stonelead him back to what's in his bonestwo months after waving goodbye, on that misty morning dockboots mounted her front porch steps, and she heard a mournful knockand before the sad words could leave, that poor sergeant's breathher heart had sensed the news, about her young son's deaththought it's for the best, her boy's laid to restwith his other brothers at armsshe swears at night, shining stars outsidecast his shadow 'cross her lonely farmcos the echoes of his mama weeping all aloneleads him back to what's in his bones(c)2007 Robert George