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It’s been called
the “Gateway to the White Mountains”
This beautiful Valley on the banks of the Little
Colorado;
It
once had a "Modern Store",
but being modern
Became an uncomfortable fit for folds here…
Cuz this is a
place where our flag still flies, and where
children
Still stand when the stars & stripes pass
It’s a gateway
to a place where women still walk
At dawn, dusk and dark
This is a place
where there are silent nights;
A place where you can see your breath, and the
milky way
It’s a Gateway
to a place where kids
still respect their father’s name;
Where raising a family
and celebrating 50th wedding
anniversaries
are still in vogue.
It’s a place
where gambling means a hand shake on a
milkshake,
And where get-to-gathers are still opened
with prayer and the Star Spangled Banner
It’s a Gateway
to a place where commons talk openly of God,
preach of God, and pray to God;
A place where churches are still being built
It’s a place
where strings of Red, White, and Blue between
light poles,
And family dances mark the beginnings of July
It’s a place
where handicap parking is still reserved for the
handicapped
And where people still honor those who fight for
Freedom
It is a place
where a drive by shooting is part of basketball,
Where gang related activity is a wild horse
race,
And where car jacking is putting a friend’s car
on blocks
This is a place
where neighbors still help neighbors,
Where good deeds still go nameless,
And where hot bread and homemade apricot jam
are still legal tender
It’s a gateway
to a place where folks still wave to strangers,
A place where there are more dirt roads than
locked doors
It’s a place
where there are more denominations than stop
lights,
A place where all join in prayer at
Thanksgiving, and for rain
It’s a place
where gated drives are barbed wire,
And where restricted access is a cattle guard,
A place where class separation
is a responsibility of the school master
This is a place
where winter nights
are an excuse for serenading and hand holding,
And where the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy days of summer
are still celebrated
It’s a gateway
to a place where the past
secures the future… God willing
Steve Hamblin |
