Mountains

The mountains rose as giants 
reaching their shoulders into the sky
I watched in awe 
out the backseat windows 
as we drove through hollers 
covered in swaths of 
green leaves so thick 
they were curtains 
you couldn’t peek behind

California had long roads
winding over tall hills 
but they were pale dusty brown 
and cracked earth 
dried 
out 
dead

Here it poured bucketfuls of rain 
over my head all the time
I fell in love with the forest 
And every shade of olive celadon pine 
and chartreuse that my eyes were offered

It was a land wrecked by poverty
Rusted out cars littered the landscape 
And still the beauty grew up through it
Took it over
Ate up metal 
Until only a fender showed 
That a junk yard had once been there

We knew not to climb 
over the barb wire fence 
were the bull lived
He was erratic and could kill you 
so we stayed in the pasture 
where the cows lived
Climbing instead to the hay loft 
and around the pig pen

When a car broke free of its tow chain 
and careened down the steep hill 
to collide with a mama 
they opened her up 
Put the calf on the front porch
in a pile of blankets 
Named her Jenny because 
I loved her so much

I learned how to hay
with the boys one time
On the back of the baler
in the damp we finally sat
after hours of moving bales
drinking in a giant rainbow
over the now mowed field 

Land shapes us 
Gifts us its colors textures 
foods and friends
Offers a bounty 
even if we have nothing else in life
West Virginia gave me terrapins
creeks in the front yard
forests for miles
dirt roads with pot holes big enough 
to swallow your car 
if you weren’t paying attention


That land showed me 
how rich I wanted to be
Plenty of green 
would forever more 
define my footpaths
Leading me always
into the middle of my own 
mountainous heart