This Square Foot
This square foot
In central Illinois
Was once
An ancient bedrock river bottom
Until the glaciers
Ice silted it in.
This square foot
In central Illinois
The illiniwek Indians
Traded with French fur traders
That settled and trapped
Along the river’s edge.
On this square foot of land
The British came
The French left
And German immigration
Brought our grandfathers
Who farmed this dirt.
This square foot
In Central Illinois
Became the home place
Our farm
Where my children grew
And my grandchildren
Laugh and ride in a golf cart and fly kites
Every square inch
Is loved
In this piece of ground
In central Illinois
Where we have camp fires
And cookouts
On my/our/no, – the Lord’s – square foot of ground.
