My life is great and gold

Through this imaginary Ozark window, I see scenes of long ago

And now as I stitch, there is beautiful falling snow.

Outside is my real Ozark view.

With thimble and thread my needle follows the trails

Through my lifetime and our lovely old hills.

Here is the fence Pop made with a saw and a fro.

Stitch a goodbye gate, or (from outside) it said “Hello.”

The fro split the picketts woven with wire,

For need, not beauty — life then had so few frills.

At night through my window of memories shine the stars so bright.

Are they dimmed by old eyes or modern electric light?

Oh, well — as eyes grow old more visions unfold

And make stitching these pictures delight.

God saw our struggles and added the frills.

Like lace makes things lovely, he added clear water, blue skies,

            flowers and trees, the riches of rocks and rills.

For color he painted the birds that give us music’s delights,

Yet he left peace and quiet -— most precious of all our thrills.

Sketch a honeysuckle vine, and the shooting stars I see.

And a snowflake, a butterfly and a honeybee.

A sea gull (I returned home with this memory).

Some things not stitched on this quilt of love are the joys of

            life in the hills,

Big breaths of clean air, happy sounds of sawmills

            and children that play,

Friends and families — the whip-o-wills’ call at the end of the day.

Out under the stars the campfire glows

And its skillet of food tastes so good.

With my window of life that is memories old

As I stitch this Ozark window for you,

My life is great and gold.

                                    — Polly, April 1996

Quilt top pieced by Carol Wilhite and Jo Nell Kyle