Poem: "Let me Say Before I Go"

By Sharon Browder

Before I’m lost to time and the South

I want to say I was here.

I loved the half light of a day sliding into night.

I want you to know before I leave

That I liked the old southern towns along the Savannah River.

I loved the formations of geese in the North Carolina sky

And the snake-necked egret at the edge of a marsh,

And the pungent smell of puff mud.

I came to love my life right here.

Fell in love with the browns and greens and the color of moss.

But the color of the leaves in late October

Near the Blue Ridge are not to be missed.

Let me say

I loved Charleston, South Carolina

The walk through the Market,

The bricks on King Street,

The Battery and the Gazebo.

I loved the surprise of a snowfall in February

And a colorful scarf at my neck.

I was thankful for the sweet smells of murky summer nights.

Before I leave this whole world

 Let me tell you

I loved the rain at the storm door on a cold day;

Had more buttered toast here

With my sweet morning coffee

And a cup at two always brought me thoughts of my mother

Rising from a nap.

I need the poet Edna St. Vincent Malay

And the prose of Annie Dillard.

Their soft look at a hard world

Fed me spoonfuls of pleasure

And nourished me when I was hungry.

Know that I loved the rustle of wind in the leaves

Scrolling along the street.

Know there will be blossoms to follow

And Butter Cups under the oaks

And wherever I go

The electric red of roses

And my day to ponder.