An old poem that I wrote long ago

I just found this tucked in a book. I wrote this poem about 10 years ago when living in Salt Lake. We moved to Idaho City about a year later. We have everything but the cows, roadside stand and windmill. Our place isn't big enough for cows. The windmill will be built soon. It's kind of long...

The Life I Dream

Hurry home, hurry to work
Rush hour; crawling
Honking horns, obscenities
Drive here, pay there
Get to the store
Telephone ringing
Pager beeping
Knocking at the door
Kids crying, yelling
Dogs barking; shut up!
Traffic noise
Sirens in the night
Blaring stereos, no sleep
Get ready, must hurry
Rush, rush to get there slowly
Frustration, impatience
Get out of my way!
I hate this
I hate being late
I'm not late so,
Why can't I slow down?
Damn it! Move!
Choking on exhaust
Can't see the mountains today
Constant noise
Phone calls
Endless bills
I want, I need, when can you pay?
Papers piling up, too much to do
Not enough time, hurry home
Must not waste time
Precious seconds
Light's green, move you idiot!
What are you doing?!
Want out, want out so bad
Escape to dream....

Each day I would bake
In the quiet before dawn;
Before my family wakes
With a stretch and a yawn.

They would greet each morn gladly;
The warm, comforting smells.
The dogs wag their tails madly.
They're hungry too, their attitude tells.

O'er the majestics to the East;
A flood of warm sunshine.
We kiss, say "good morning" and sit down to feast.
Ahh, the life in the land of aspen and pine.

Then off to school and chores on the ranch
That seems like work not at all.
Mend the fence, trim that branch,
Feed the animals, clean out each stall.

Everything done with joy and reason;
Plant veggies, tend fruit trees,
Collect firewood all season.

We earn our living from our roadside stand;
Veggies, fruits and homemade things.
Reaping the benefits from our land;
Enjoying the peace that it brings.

Out in the barn and in the field;
The dinner bell brings them all in.
The smells of supper; our hard work's yield,
To each, brings a satisfied grin.

With the dishes washed and homework done,
We might take a stroll down the lane.
Bask in the colors of the setting sun
As the day begins to wane.

Or we might hold hands in our rocking chairs
On our porch that faces West.
The dogs are lying near the stairs
We truly feel blessed.

Our home is a haven
Full of peace and deep love.
Nothing more am I cravin'
This life fits like a glove.

My loving knight in bright armor,
My cowboy, best friend
Has become quite the farmer;
He loves this no end.

Side by side, we work and play;
Enjoying secluded peace.
This tranquil life, I hope and pray,
For us will never cease.

In spring, we sow; summer we reap.
Nearby, the windmill whirls.
The well we drilled is clear and deep.
Around the rocks, the cold stream swirls.

In fall, we ready for the storms
That winter will inevitably bring.
Long johns, boots, and hearth that warms;
Keeping us cozy til spring.

With winter, comes a ton of snow.
We close our stand for now.
The winds begin to whistle and blow;
Time to bring in the cows.

The winter's so white
And all snug by our fire
It all feels so right;
To this I aspire.

Pickling and canning,
Building new things;
Working and planning
For what next year brings.

The trees that we sold
Sustain us through
The long bitter cold
Til spring comes anew.

Wildlife and sweet smelling rain
Warm summer sunshine
Green grass and gold grain.

Camping, fishing, hunting galore;
Sunrise, sunset
Enjoyed all the more.

The summers are warm
And the air; it smells sweet
A harsh winter storm
Makes the spring a real treat.

We work hard, but we play
And take time to smell flowers.
We don't mind a hard day
Because it's all ours.

Living in peace
With the rat race behind us.
This is our new lease;
No noise and no fuss.

No trusses, low stress
We work as a team.
This is what I want, yes!
This is the life that I dream.