The Field

The field

The full moon cast and erie glow

Through the light and floating snow

For 70 years I have walked this field

With cats,dogs and our two goats

With my grandfather and father kids and grandkid

With wives and lovers hunters and hunted

Pop let me drive his car here when I was 12

Grandpa taught me how to swing an ax here

As we clear the brush at the forests edge

In the snow or summers glow

To see the northern lights

Or the fireworks from Cooperstown

I once cut down the hedgerow at the West end

Now after 40 years it looks exactly the same

My wife and kids looked on blankly

They knew how stupid it was

But I toiled on blissfully I had a plan

So now some day soon I will see

The shadow of the grim reaper drifting across it

I remember reading about an Indian custom

Of chatting about your victories and defeats

As you face west and do your last dance

And I thought that the west end of this field

Would be the right place for me to step out of time

It just occurred to me that maybe

That's why I cut those trees so many years ago

So I could look 50 miles to the west

And if I time it just right

The sun will be dropping below the horizon

All is well