Hills

Hills in my Voice 

 

Half-hidden hills in summer haze
Call my name and question me. . .

“Where have you been?”
“Why have you stayed away so long?”

Those hills are strangers to me.
I am not from there but rather here.
They seem to know me much better than I know them
I’ve only ridden over Big Hill a few times in a car.
Why, then, do they call my name?

Why is the sight of those green trees reaching
Toward the sky as familiar as the fingers
On my own hand? – Reaching.
For what I can’t name.

“Mountain folk are queer,” Mamaw always said,
But I couldn’t say for sure. They live
Tucked back in deep hollows,
Silent reflections of the hills around them.
They are as much a part of that place
As limestone and black oak.
I do not know them but I understand them.
My spirit hears the same whisper as theirs,
On the breath of a breeze, it beckons me home.

Some say God is in the trees.
Someday--
if I’m not here where I ought to be . . .

You might find me in the mountains.

 

 

Author's Note

Without the guidance of two very special writers at the cafe this poem would have never come to be. My sincere thanks to Mike and Tamara who both offered suggestions and helped me along with this one.

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I'm just a hillbilly myself like Thomas Wolfe. He said, "You can't go home again." But I'm bewildered as to why anyone would want to leave. I carry my Appalachians in my heart. I carried them through the Ozarks in Arkansas and across the Rockies in Colorado. The oldest mountains in the world are more than just hills and valleys to me. They're in my blood and deep in my bones. And I wouldn't have it any other way. So, while Wolfe may have been removed from the commonality of his upbringing; the more I have been removed, the more I cling to home. Ricky Skaggs wrote a song called, Don't Get Above Your Raisin' where he tells a girl not to "high hat" him because he remembers what she used to be. That relates directly to what Wolfe said about not being able to go home again. Sure you can go home again. But don't go home and try to flaunt your education at the people you were brought up with. It's not being dishonest to grow beyond the hills and still maintain connection with your roots. I talk to mountain folks like mountain folks talk. It's not "fake" because I'm from there. But I can communicate on other levels with various people from various walks of life without intimidating them or feeling intimidated by them. That is what Rudyard Kipling meant in his poem, "If" when he wrote,
"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;"

According to Kipling's observation that's what makes a "man" but I'd prefer to think of it as what makes us well rounded individuals capable of communicating our thoughts at various levels. That's certainly as important as being able to speak a foreign language; especially if it is the language of "home". I'm sorry if my review seems rather personal but the piece evoked thoughts and feelings in me that were very personal. I hope I can maintain the flavor of the mountains, always, in my voice.

[Emily B]

My husband feels more at home in those flat lands.

[Wanda S. Paryla]

This is very nice with great imagery, and a truly fantastic drawing of emotions. It actually gave me the chills. My mom's family is in West Virgina and I like it there very much, and I had an episode once in Kentucky that I will never forget. Oh, I think you captured the feelings that nature can evoke from us. For some, it comes from the mountains, for some others it might be the ocean or the desert. This writing is inspiring and the descriptions you give do indeed reflect the power of nature upon us. Good job!

[E. M. Murren]

Wow... inspired and inspiring. Such a graceful expression here... mountains are Sacred to me. So are deserts for different reasons all together. LOL This is a really beautiful poem. Many cheers.

[Jayne Ann Saporito]

I could have written this! But you did a much better job! You've expressed what I've thought so many times when passing by my special hills. God is truly in the trees!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful work.

[Ani Ashford]

Love your imagery. The words capture the moment and the thought processes. I would love to read more of a continuation of this genre. It is almost a melodic prose. There are so many aspects of this moment that could be expanded upon. Give us more? I would like to read more.... Sometimes the best pieces we get are from our past. Thank you.

[Brenda Sue]

Oh wow, this is beautiful. I myself love the mountains and I live very close to them. Anytime I leave, as I am coming home and see the mountains, they do truly speak to me. Wonderfully penned. Great job.

[Shadows of Sight]

This was beautiful! The Mountains you speak of are indead aluring and they do have a power that makes your mind and heart drift. Even when the fog and clouds blanket them, you can still feel it!
I so understand your words!
I hope you are inspired to write more like this one!
I will put this in my favorites!
Great Work of majestic imagery!

[Karen666]

a lovely peaceful piece