The Hills That Raised Me

These deciduous paths

I have known for two decades

Keeps me grounded in the hills

Of ancient Appalachia

And I fear that if I venture

Farther away to new paths

And new lands

I won’t find my way back

I’ll be lost forever

To the hills, the trees, the forests, the people, the culture

That raised me, that taught me

To appreciate everything within my reach

Everything outside our windows