There is a place off the map,
A sweet step back in time,
Where white sheets blow
In the wind, on the line.
Dogs chase sticks,
While kids go a fishin’,
Grandma stays busy
Making rolls in the kitchen.
Grandpa tends the garden,
He grows all sorts of things;
Shares squash with the neighbors
Who share back a sack of beans.
Time stands still
Where the grasses grow tall;
The world seems biggest
When a town seems small.
Tar boils form
In patches on the roads;
Poked by kids with sticks,
Who hold races with brown toads.
Cats and kittens wander,
Lazily they roam,
Sometimes taking hours
Before they wander home.
Rope swings nestle
In the tallest trees;
Sweet flowers beckon
The buzzing bumblebees.
Rhubarb and a berry patch
Grow thick in the back yard;
Mama fries her chicken in-
And makes her pies from lard.
In the front porch rockers
Young and old alike take naps;
Aprons tossed aside,
In the breeze they flap.
Fresh baked cookies
Welcome passers by;
Lemonade & visiting
Seem to make time fly.
Kids ride bikes, some take hikes,
Some go do their chores;
Some climb trees, and skin their knees,
Or shoot marbles on dirt floors.
Ring the bell to summon them
From wherever they may roam –
It’s time to wash and eat –
Hurry up & come back home!
Dinner around the table
Weaves strong memories;
Love is shown in this home
With laughter & stories.
Hand wash all the dishes,
Then by the sink they dry;
Mama gets fresh plates
While Grandma cuts up pie.
Dad brews a pot of coffee,
Mama sips her tea;
Grandma dozes in her chair
An afghan on her knee.
On the floor, by the hearth
The dogs lay near the fire;
Topics of the world discussed-
And the local gossip wire.
Fresh air all day, hard work and play
Make everyone so sleepy;
Crawl under the quilt, No shame, no guilt
Sleep all night long, deeply.
There is a place off the map
A sweet step back in time;
I’d take you there- except that now,
It’s only in my mind.