My dear friend

Among your magnificent oaks

Your ghostly willows

Your towering maples

I honed my youthful imagination

I fought countless WWII battles

Hunted for elephants in the depths of Africa

With Frodo and Sam we searched

Through hollow logs for Elves and Orcs

As Captain Blackbeard

I pirated your waters for golden booty

I fished and hunted

Along your muddy banks

As I grew older

You exposed me to different fantasies

Secluded amid a cottonwood grove

Surrounded by fields of tall corn

And sweet smelling alfalfa

A wide-open night sky

With countless stars and a full summer moon

Gave me my first glimpse of heaven

I thank you for the many memories