Twas The Night Before Texas

Twas the eve of departing and all through the house
we all were excited, even the mouse!
Maggie was panting and pacing the floor,
poised and ready to bolt out the door
for her ride to Danielle’s, her favorite resort.
She’s the queen of the kennel, and by all reports
she’s a lady who knows how to play.

We’re off on the morrow to visit the clan
that lives in the quiet and humble land
where longhorns graze on sweet pasture grass
and fishermen boast of  30 pound bass!
Where the Texas Two-Step is a mighty fine dance
and folks have been known to take a stance
about politics and stuff.

We’ll visit the ranch and eat black-eyed peas.
Talk funny like them.  We aim to please.
Maybe a Lone Star beer or two.
Can’t leave without some Bar-b-que.
I’ll sit on the porch in a rocking chair
and count fireflies in the evening air.
Not a bad way to live!

But maybe this is a subtle sign
that my roots grew deep in the East Texas pines.
For all these years that I’ve moved around,
lived in lots of different towns,
I’ve never had a sense like this
that maybe I shouldn’t just reminisce,
but buy me some cowboy boots.

I guess I should wait til  I get there and see
if these memories I hold are meant to be
signs for the future or frivolous dreams,
sometimes truth is not what it seems.
So, tomorrow morning we’ll head down the road,
My Lord, you should see the impossible load!
I hope the tires hold up.

And when we pass the Welcome sign
I think I’ll be just a little inclined
to see if my feelings are consistently sure,
that we ought to take a Hill Country tour,
explore the back country highways and towns,
look for a treasure that waits to be found,
think about coming home.