And I Smiled Back

Tires thrown on the tin roof
for insurance; yellow siding below
cracked and faded.

The rusted truck sat on blocks
sinking into the earth, the fallen
red oak doing the same.

A suburban in the driveway
nursed a flat with a towel taped
to the window to shield from the draft.

A young girl throws a ball for a puppy,
then smiles and waves at me.

R.H. Booker grew up on a family ranch in the central part of the Lone Star state. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology and was commissioned in the United States Marine Corps, serving as an Infantry Officer. He spends time with his wife, K.R., living in their fifth-wheel trailer. He is happiest when hunting, fly-fishing, boating, playing guitar, reading, cooking, or writing.