O Give Me A Home

where the prairie goes on for miles

and the mirages of shangri-la pools of water shimmer in the distance

where the sandhill cranes wade the shallow waters of the Niobrara

and the wind whips through the mane of my mare, striking me on the cheek.

This is what has been created in me.

A longing for the home I call Nebraska.

And this woman's blog has accomplished it.

In one fell swoop

I want the smell of the barn to greet my nostrils as I open the door

and the grain to run through my fingers as I shove my hand into the feeding trough where my horse munches contentedly.

The sound of boots stomping in the foyer,

The sound of pickup tires on gravel pulling into the drive.

The grumble of the tractor engine as it roars to life.

Every sight.

Every sound.

Every sense

awakened to life.

I miss my beloved homeland.