The Pioneering Spirit
A poem by John Grey

The Pioneering Spirit

Go west, young man and woman!
Not exactly.
We stayed east.
But we were pioneers,
apartment block for wagon train,
our prairie schooner, two cramped rooms
with mismatched furniture,
half empty refrigerator,
a little milk, some cheese,
and week-old bread.

Somehow we survived
the rough terrain of low-paying jobs,
of arguments and empty pockets,
long winters, searing summers,
sicknesses and aggravations.
We held off the war parties.
We called many a truce
in the war between ourselves.

And we came upon our very own
stretch of wilderness,
to lay down roots, build, plant,
grow, harvest.
In other words, we lived within our means.
For the country was young
and credit card rates were on the rise.

About the Author:

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, North Dakota Quarterly and Lost Pilots. Latest books, ”Between Two Fires”, “Covert” and  “Memory Outside The Head” are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in California Quarterly, Seventh Quarry, La Presa and Doubly Mad.

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