Tomorrow Bill and I will be attending the Carolina Christian School Reunion.

The buildings have been sold. No longer is Carolina Christian Ministries located on Charlotte’s Freedom Drive. But the memories will never die.

**

Carolina Memories,
Highly Condensed

We painted concrete walls
with barf-colored primer
then opened the doors
to let students in.

We bought biscuits from
BoJangles. Played Basketball.
We really did do
some English and math.

Shag carpet on the podium,
a bible on Dan’s head—
we cried until we laughed
and laughed ’til we cried.

And after certain butts
were stuck out a certain window
at the beach, we let the strumming
of guitars make way for grace.

**

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

**

And an Embellished memory.

**

The Pond At Carolina

I often think of the pond at Carolina.
And I’m trying to find it now.
So I follow the path. The path is hard to see.

I go by the church, the school,
in afternoon late in winter,
past the dark evergreens—deep in the woods—

where large icicles hang from a barn’s open door.
I walk in a field with a stiff-legged cow.
My arms in the air, I remember Bill’s picture:

The Setting Sun Coats Shimmering Cat-Tails.
The pond is golden, each bulrush heavy laden:
Yes, bracted spikelets host such perfect flowers.

first published in Domicile