When I was little,
I dreaded this place.
It was so flat
That you could see
The other side of town;
And so bare
That you could give names
To every tree.
Instead of going to the movies
Or the mall,
You would work
On your farm
So you could win
A ribbon
At the county fair.
And instead of eating dinner
At fancy restaurants,
You had home-cooked meals
Complete with crops
From your own garden.
Fast food was not an option
Because there was no McDonalds
Or chain of restaurant.
And on every Sunday
You went to church
Whether you liked it
Or not.
My grandma
Did her best
To entertain us,
But there was only so much
She could do.
The amount of students
in my high school
Is bigger
Than the amount
Of people in this town,
But the stars in the sky
Were the biggest
I’ve ever seen.
Now I find myself
Dreading to leave;
But I know
When I want to remember
Herington,
All I have to do
Is look up at the sky.