The following post has been republished by permission from Corey Amaro. Corey was born and raised in the Sacramento Valley and has spent the past 20 years living in France. Please check out Corey’s blog – Tongue in Cheek: Stories collected while living in France.
Northern California during autumn,
golden valley, harvested fields, open spaces, geese in flight.
Country roads leading near and far.
Clouds adding texture between the valley and the foothills.
A single tree sets the stage.
A barn in the middle of a harvested rice field.
I grew up in this valley,
under these clouds,
surrounded by rice fields,
in wide spaces,
with long grey paved roads,
and barns in the middle of nowhere, but at the center of our lives.
The foothills north of San Francisco are rolling gold,
The fence post holding nothing in,
are the first sign that my childhood home is near.
My heart opens,
I feel the rolling gold, rolling gold, rolling gold…..
Pouring into the Sacramento valley.
Sacha, my son often asks, “Why did you leave?”
And my heart stings.
Following your heart is not always easy.
Especially when it divides you in two.
Oh distant geese that fly overhead where are you going?
Rolling gold along the long grey paved road?
I left because I fell in love.
I come back because I am in love.
That is the gift of an abundant harvest.
At the end of the valley Shasta rises.
What do I see the valley or the mountain, the peak or the desert, the highpoints or thelow points?
A blend makes it interesting and good.
Blue sky with clouds overhead.
A journey far and wide.
