after Rain

along this unpaved road
long since grown with thistles
i turn to land after rain

in this solemn place i stand
where horseshoe prints
and tracks of old wagon wheels
etched the land like a mural
and with joy i squeezed red mud
between my toes after rain

this is a forgotten place
once fertile with tall cotton
and crops of corn and goobers
sweet blackberries and wild cherries
a juxtaposition of hungry weevils
tender butterflies and hummingbirds
whose thin wings filled the air
with color and song after rain

here on this sacred ground
children's laughter was sweet music
echoing from pages of heavenly hymnals
forgetful of plaintive moaning
hellfire and damnation falling
from the lips of tormented preachers
lost in a sea of salty perspiration
drowning the hope of desperate souls
smothering the cleansing after rain

here once again i sense my oneness
with earth and sky and depth of night
as the velvet sweet scent rises
from somewhere beneath my feet
sending my senses reeling
in splendid primordial joy
reaching for salvation after rain

that certain freshness that settles
and permeates even iron and steel
fills all corners of this land
caressed by gentle and soothing sunbursts
streaming through great white clouds
gently bending its golden glow
into rainbows in the mist
all quiet and tender after rain