I am the Carolina coast,
windswept in winter,
sunny by day,
rich in history
and life
and dreams of men
who tire of the North
with its cold, fast ways
of living.

I am skies full of seagulls.
I am sunrises over
an outstretched sea.
I am the siren song
in your weary heart,
calling you home to
new life.

I will wash you clean
with my salty spray,
tan your bare hide
with my hot sun,
stain your soul
with my legacy
of bondage and brutality,
and I will fulfill your future
promise with an endless
shore of soft sand leading
any direction
you choose.

~ Darci Hawxhurst for the Poplar Grove Muse