A Milestone

For those of you who have endured with me for the first 99 posts, I give you my 100th post. I’ve often debated about whether or not to publish this through a blog, but as you can see, I’ve made my decision and so here it is. In fact I’ve held off posting this one…I’ve reserved it for my 100th. After all, we are not talking about ordinary, average milestones.

Moving to Lincoln

In the chilled shadows of the sentinel grain silos
that existed before the cross laden building of the believers
I stood demurely, head bowed, eyes averted
unsure of the shame I felt in their presence.

Would they ever approve of a foreigner who
lacked the gift and might of Joseph’s foresight?

For one hundred seventeen years, settlers have poured
yearly offerings into those concrete bellies
to stave off hunger against long deep winters of
a conquered prairie.

Their disapproving gray stare
leave me certain of an extended dismal season to come;
they don’t need pharaoh’s dream
for their shadows to point the way back to Canaan.