As a native Oklahoman, I am deeply connected to this state's varied landscapes. My most precious memories happened here. This land offered equal bounty to many – some who were forced to relocate, some who came willingly, and many, like me, who were born here.

Oklahoma

Spring blue the early sky,
and the meadows and fields
awash in a gentle green ocean,
splashed roundabout with flowers
yellow and small.

Purple blossoms on redbud trees;
reaching sunward in a cool
western wind, as life spreads
slowly again over low rolling hills
and old granite mountains.

Through great plains of bounty,
the tall grass prairie dances; bending
and swaying to the sundry songs of birds
soaring in air clear, fresh, and clean.
Ahh, the sweet breath of being!

The red earth whispers here
to my soul under a warming sun:
this is your homeland o traveler;
a territory meant for many peoples;
a place where dreams may flourish!

Next poem: The Taste of Clouds

Author: Jerry Dan Deutschendorf
from: Red Earth Whisperings
Part I: Nature and the Nature of Things