I remember
     A clear rippling creek, cold,
     chubbs, sunfish, and shiners,
     crawdads and watercress.

I remember
     Green hills, oak and hickory,
     sassafras, sumac, walnut.
     Fox squirrels and wild grapes.

I remember
     Horse plows and A-tooth harrows. 
     The odor of fresh tilled earth,
     Barefoot in the cool black soil.

I remember
     The hot dust of summer,
     sunburn, swimming, wild blackberries,
     Watermelon, firecrackers.

I remember
     Crisp autumn, red and yellow leaves.
     Harvest, hog killing, bladder rattles, 
     Hickory nuts, hunting, frost.

I remember
     Snow ice cream, cold, bare trees.
     Frost on the toilet seat,
     warm fires, banked coals, popcorn.

I remember
     The first buds, polk salad.
     New life, spring fever,
     No more long underwear.

I remember
     The old folks, snuff, chewing tobacco,
     tall stories, ghost stories.
     Bib overalls, dollar watches, pie suppers.

I remember
     A boy, youth, innocence.
     Aware of his world, 
     Unaware of the world ahead.

And as I remember
     A tear for that lost youth,
     a sigh for what was, 
     A time that can never be again.

Syd Carr

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