it is still home...

Texas is a lot of things.
For me...
it is still home.

As I drove through East Texas
I am reminded
of the beauty of
tall
thick
green
pine trees.
I love them.

Of course I know what some of the people are like
who live under the shade of all those pines.
An enormous Confederate flag
flapping in the wind
in front of a auto repair shop
is a constant reminder.

Not everyone is
welcome in these parts....
even to this day.

And yet not all
people are
backwards.

My parents are a rare example
of Texans
who open their home and hearts
to people
despite
the differences
despite
the mistakes.

This past week I drove through
East Texas
one town and community at a time...

Queen City (very few Queens live here!)
Bo Bo (this one is your call!)
Damascus (don't think there are any Jews or Middle Easterners)
and
Moscow (can't imagine any Russians or Communists here)

Despite all the woods of East Texas
are about and will always be about...
it's still my home....
and no one can take that away from me.