my family in the foothills (for leanne)

warm and sunny in the garden this morning
something in the air takes me away
something in the mingling scents
of oaks
and pines
and the dust of the iron-reddened soil
my brother and i in the car
my mother driving us along little roads
that seem to wind on forever
out of the valley and into the hills
an adventure into a different world
and just when i begin to grow tired from the drive
we are there
and she is there to greet us
smiling that loving, friendly smile
and speaking with that wonderful teasing tone
the one always accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes
and the kids are there
our far-away friends we've been missing
and sometimes we see the suttons
and sometimes her sweet father
and her mother, who always seems a little worried
and all of them so welcoming and so much like
family
and though it's been years since i've seen them
that is always how i think of them
my family in the foothills