poem for Burnet

All of the lively adventures
And journeys before this one
All of the lovely people
And places before here
Were each their own lesson
A part of a varied curriculum
And bared their subtle messages
On my curious and growing heart.
At twenty years old,
My adventure of late has been Burnet, TX.
A year goes by slowly
And years pass by quickly
Spent the last one in this little town
Spent the last one rising with the sun
Spent the last one on my own
In a setting full of strangers
A year ago on the eve of moving here
I was scared and unsure
You were
So small and unfamiliar
So friendly, but I felt alone
And my world shrank to
a carpet covered room
Where I spent time waiting
for my hair to grow
for my ministry to take off
for friends to be made.
For months I stirred about awkwardly
four months, six months,
And a year later, here we are
What a change has taken place
Who was I? Who am I now?
A year older, a smile prettier,
a shade wiser.
And now I know a bit more
Like how to live with a lady of 50.
And what a house broken dog drinks
And how he moves, and what he likes
And how to make him love you.
(the answer is sirloin steak).
Priceless days I've spent here
And asked myself things like,
How do teenage boys think?
More simply than I supposed
And what does it take to befriend them?
Feed them, love them in the most sisterly way
Give them an abundance of
Answers, adventures, and understanding
Late nights, muffins in the morning, and time
And teach them something new
I was befriended by the fearless
I watched a group of boys grow
How a year does pass.
Sweetly if one finds hidden treasures
Like I did, or did she find me?
A lovely young lady with beauty spilling over
How did I deserve this treasure?
Shy smiles, pretty dresses, shrieks of laughter
Paint days, cookings days, and sing-a-longs
My friendly fellow flower
Molly Fantastic, my sister true
Thank you for her, Burnet
Hidden hill country town
And thank you for all that I've met
all I've seen, and learned.
Suburban kids, riding bikes
Flying kites, getting into fights
Waving goodbye
Hard workin' men, helpful old ladies
I've learned their wrinkles, ways, and worries
Meanwhile, I've been teaching, and painting
Reading, singing, cooking
Biking, running, napping
Screaming, crying, learning
Days, days, days
Oh Burnet! Must I leave and still
have questions like--
How do your sunsets glow so orange
How do the rainbows double
How does the river sound so sweet
As it tumbles through the park
I'm primed to leave
But mournfully so
How do your people hug so close?
How do the bluebonnets multiply and grow?
How do the stars fall so often
On nights warm and clear?
How does a year pass by so quickly?
I'm on the eve of moving away
Burnet, sweet Burnet,
I hardly knew adventure before here.
Before I found the best climbing tree
And biked to the next town
Before I napped under trees
And watched the ants march around
Before I sipped Kiri's cappucino's
And watched my students grow.
Adventure did I know you?
A bit, but now I'm sure
Before Burnet, I'd made journeys,
I'd adventured in little ways.
But above them all,
You sit proud and bold.
Your people wrapped up
In memories, that feel like nice afternoon naps
Your mornings wrapped up
In memories, that feel like dewdrops on bare feet
Your streets wrapped up
In memories, that smell like honeysuckle
Will you remember me
In my yellow sweater?
I'll remember your worn blue jeans.
Will you remember me
And the silly dumb things I said?
I'll remember the stories you shared.
Will you remember me,
Like I'll remember you,
As the most lovely batch of characters?
Who'll decorate my future thoughts
Who'll prepare me for tomorrow
Who'll be in the pages I write and stow away.
You've been teachers, friends, and family
A lesson good and full
A chapter of my life
A blessing undeniably from God.
Forget me, Burnet, but I won't forget you.