Property Of

It's hard to believe
I'm here again,

after so many years.

I promised myself
I'd never return,
but it seems
we always do.

There are a few paved streets
where dirt roads once were
and the corner store
no longer stands.

Aside from that,
I'm shocked and amazed
by how little
things have changed.

The differences I see
are marked only by neglect.

Perhaps even God
has a sense
of disinterest.

The road I lived down
now has a name.
A lone mail box
stands out front.

Without four-wheel drive
you'll never get down it;

glad I came prepared.

I have to admit
I'm a bit reluctant,
but I've come too far
to turn back now.

I inch my way
through the mud
taking the high ground
where I can find it.

It's longer than I remembered;
thick piney woods line either side
until the road forks
at the end.

I veer to the left
and creep to a stop,
surveying the landscape
before me.

To my left
reminisce of my grandmother's garden
still stands,
a fence post here,
and a fence post there,
heavy with over growth.

Just to the north
her pet cemetery still exists.
The oak tree
I use to climb as a child
still towers above.
I look to its base
and find the word
'Mark'
still etched in.

I missed you, old friend.
I hope your rest
has been a peaceful one.

Beyond the cemetary,
my aunt's home is gone,
as is my Grandmother's
and my own.

In the mix of it all,
where my cousins and I played,
there is a sign;

the words read:

PROPERTY
OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
LAW ENFORCEMENT.

I think to myself,
what have you people done?
My people,

what have you done?