I have been in Pennsylvania,
In the Monongahela and Hocking Valleys.

In the blue Susquehanna
On a Saturday morning
I saw a mounted constabulary go by,
I saw boys playing marbles.
Spring and the hills laughed.

And in places
Along the Appalachian chain,
I saw steel arms handling coal and iron,
And I saw the white-cauliflower faces
Of miner's wives waiting for the men to come home from the day's work.

I made color studies in crimson and violet
Over the dust and domes of culm at sunset.

I First Saw Scranton
...and did not unpack
my life
Iron--    ic  
as if always
meant to be a rusted ruin
I first saw Scranton
Not much of a view
beyond the smoldering mountains of the culm
dumps, decrepit
mills, of once...
prosperous coal
city in denial  
decay of Great mansions--abandoned
on the Hill    
away
from clapboard and spit hovels
of miners
in the barren
mud beside the river
below
and I remember thinking:

"How can I ever live here?" 

I own one of those hovels now
48 years-- under foot and harnessed
in the stays 
Just another in a string of small
sad 
cities'
people
so used
and
waiting
to be
covered up
once again by heaviness--
Its sin  
in the mercy of snow...

The day I met you
You made me want to be better
You made me want to be Stronger
Physically
Emotionally
Healthy  
You made me want to be wiser
You made me want to be
More
Caring
Loving
Kind
You made me feel like
I am worth something on earth
The day I met you
Something just clicked
As days went by
I noticed myself being different
I started working harder
I started holding myself together
Being stronger
I became more
Caring
Patient
Loving
Kind
My words came out wiser
The day I met you
I somehow become the person I always wanted to be
The day I met you
My knees didn't go weak
I didn't get them butterflies
I didn't go space blank and didn't know what to say
I was just me
No funny business
The day I met you
I felt culm
Strong
Confident
The day I met you
I felt like I can do anything
Like I was a somebody
And somehow I knew
That the day I met you
You'd be my best friend
one day my husband
Till death us do part
I'm so glad for
The day I met you.
Because of you
I'm the person I always wanted to be.

Lord, Am I wrong or am I right?
Am I wrong for being right?
Or am I right for being wrong?
Do I hold the peace or speak up?
When I hold the peace, we get in a fight…
When I speak up, I hurt the ones I love…
So am I wrong or am I right?
Am I wrong for being right?
Or am I right for being wrong?
Lord, I’m tired.
This is, an unending cycle…
I feel alone when I’m not…
And I don’t when I am…
Alone in the woods or some overgrown trail on a mountain top.
I feel surrounded with your presents.
At peace, culm at ease alone.
Oh I miss it so much!
But at home or anywhere else
Surround by family and friends…
I feel alone…
As if I’m in a box,
that’s drowning in the dark abyss
Frozen… unable to move or talk.
So when I’m alone, I’m not.
And when I’m not, I am?
With questions on questions
That turn to the same question.
Lord, Am I wrong or am I right?
Am I lost?
I’m lost.
Where am I?
Wait I’m not.
Make it make sense…
Lord, I’m tired…