Back Porch Small Talkin'

God thank You for day, and for lots of days that have quickly become 61 years.  Thank You for life, that which lets me be living and, the life that You provided me to live, the lover and our kind, and our grand kind and those great grand kinds who are coming to live for.  All the loving and kissing and holding on cold beaches and warm beds, and the rivers and oceans and trees, and the butterflies and long straight roads in the west and Amiens and Gimmelwald—all that living that You gifted me to live in.  Thank You for every dawn that You woke me for and every blue sky and green earth that dawn made.  Thank You for letting me be young so I have great memories of a great body that was strong and fast and made me listen to Bob Seger’s, Like A Rock and thank You for letting me smile at how old young became.  Thank You for songs like Free Bird, Poems, Prayers and Promises, Waiting On June and Amazing Grace and that You let my ears hear and that You make string and vocal cords vibrate and that Elvis sounded like Elvis. Thank you for Tennessee and Switzerland and Italy and for conceiving of Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer in that order and that Fall and Winter combined are longer than summer.  Thank You that babies and lover always look their best in nude and that hot water was once on Your to-do list along with shade, the smell of cut grass and that all minks go to heaven because I have known the feel of a great mink coat.  Thank You for tears that are needed more with age and that I have seen humans born five times, delivered one and knew a dear loved one who was 99 and for letting me catch a big fish.  God this list could go on and on so I’ll close with this, thank You for forgiving this old, worn out scoundrel, wasted and well worn out on the road, washed up and cold and for giving me a new heart whose greatest pleasure is being grateful to You and knowing even that’s on— YOU!!!