They burned the ranch house down today,
Left ashes on the snow.
Inspectors said the wires were bad.
They said it had to go.
Oh, we had sold it some time back.
Sometimes one cannot stay...
But lots of memories were there.
They will not not go away.

The logs were rotting, as logs do
After many years.
But they had held when times were tough
And life was sweat and tears.
Not that it was a fancy place.
For style, it won no prize.
But it was home, and that meant more
to humble rancher's eyes.
It had been moved up from the field
To a place there on the hill.
The memory of the warmth it held
Will let me see it still.
The biggest window faced the lane
So we could plainly see
When friends were coming by to talk
Or share a cup of tea.

Most entered by the kitchen door
Where fresh bread might be baking.
And we might sit out on the step
When backs were tired and aching.
The cow dog joined our reverie
But he is long gone, too.
He added pleasure to our days,
And guarded all night through.

Our sons were raised ot that old place.
We taught them what we could
Of honesty and dignity,
And their response was good.
But times moves on, we can't go back
To that time long ago.
hey burned the ranch house down today,
Left ashes on the snow.

copyright 2003 Nona Kelley Carver