The Toast of North Carolina

I ran across this and love it.  Living here the last year and a half to two years, it completely captures the feel of the state we live in.  (I heard this from a local bluegrass band, some local heros, actually, the Red Clay Ramblers.  They put some music to it and made a great song from just the first verse.)

    Here's to the land of the long leaf pine,
    The summer land where the sun doth shine,
    Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,
    Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!

    Here's to the land of the cotton bloom white,
    Where the scuppernong perfumes the breeze at night,
    Where the soft southern moss and jessamine mate,
    'Neath the murmuring pines of the Old North State!

    Here's to the land where the galax grows,
    Where the rhododendron's rosette glows,
    Where soars Mount Mitchell's summit great,
    In the "Land of the Sky," in the Old North State!

    Here's to the land where maidens are fair,
    Where friends are true and cold hearts rare,
    The near land, the dear land, whatever fate,
    The blest land, the best land, the Old North State!

I Can Smell The Coffee Once Again

My head is much clearer.
My mind always churning.
Passion I’ve not felt
In a long time is burning.

I hear crickets at night.
More than I have in a while.
I find myself holding back
Smile upon smile.

What was gone.
Has come to shore.
My heart feels revived
From all that was before.

The evening mystifies.
With much delight.
The smell of coffee
Fills the air tonight.

I haven’t cherished it.
In quite a long time.
The aroma leaks forth
As if I was on The Maker’s mind.