COTTONWOOD

LORD, YES, I KNOW I SHOULD BE OVER IT BY NOW,
BUT I GUESS, REALLY,
IT'S BEEN JUST A BLINK OF AN EYE
UP THERE WHERE I SO WANT TO BE,
WITH YOU IN HEAVEN.

SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME

WHEN THE THREE OF US WERE RUNNING

AROUND, NO BOUNDARIES, IN THE HOT SOUTHERN ARIZONA SUN
ON GRANDADDY'S COTTON FARM.
WE WOULD BE BAREFOOT
AND DRESSED IN OUR SWIMSUITS,
DAVID THEN JEANETTE THEN ME,
SHERRIE,
NONE OF US,
I DON'T THINK
OLDER THAN EIGHT.
WELL, HOW ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE DRESSED
IF YOU PLAYED ON A COTTON FARM
IN 120 DEGREE WEATHER?

ACTUALLY, THE SHADE FROM ALL OF THOSE
COTTONWOOD TREES
THAT LINED THE DIRT ROADS,
COULD,
ON A GOOD DAY,
BE RATHER REFRESHING,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU WERE CLOSE TO
ONE OF THE DITCHES. 
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A GOOD SWIMMER,
BUT DO NOT LIKE SWIMMING SOMEPLACE
WHERE I CANNOT CLEARLY SEE THE BOTTOM.

SO MY MOM WAS THE ELDEST OF EIGHT,
AND DAVID THE YOUNGEST,
AGE-WISE DAVID COULD HAVE BEEN A BROTHER TO ME IF HE HAD WANTED.  HE WAS TO JEANETTE.
BUT, HONESTLY,
WITH ALL OF THE BBs HE SHOT AT ME
(NO LICENSE REQUIRED),
I DON'T THINK I MISSED MUCH IN THAT REGARD.
BUT AUNT PATSY
WAS A RED-HEADED SAINT.
SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DO THE TWIST
AND THE MASHED-POTATO.
SHE FILLED THE SHOES
MY OWN SISTER REFUSED.
I MISS YOU AUNT PATSY,
BUT I KNOW YOU 
AND THAT IT IS YOU
TEACHING THE ANGELS HOW TO DANCE.

THE REASON I LOVED IT SO MUCH
ON THIS DIRT FARM WE CALLED HOME?
BESIDES BEING WITH MY BELOVED GRANDADDY
AND CHRISTIAN GRANDMA
THAT TAUGHT ME HOW JESUS LOVED ME SO
AND MY BEAUTIFUL AUNT PATSY
WITH THE RED HAIR,
IS THE FACT
THAT I DIDN'T GET SMACKED AROUND
JUST BECAUSE,
BY ANYONE.

PSALM 7:1

LORD, MY GOD,
I TAKE REFUGE IN YOU;
SAVE AND DELIVER ME
FROM ALL WHO PURSUE ME.