a strange thing happens
Men wear gowns
as well as women
Cued they come to take their seats
Strange hats with tassels
gowns all pressed just so
The end of a journey, they sit
Dignitaries gather
up high on a stage
Folks with titles
Offices gained
they look upon the graduates
they look upon the families and friends
Tall, tall cotton graduation day
graduation ceremonies
Lifetime memories marking
Time was,
I wore the gowns
graduated
but I came back
to do it again, and again
Maybe 40 more or so
I’ve been there
now on the officer side
Trustee
Chairman of the Board
I shake their hands
“Congratulations!”
“Well done!” I say.
Four hundred at a clip.
Of all these times
one stands out
with very special meaning.
There is a young lady
I watched grow up
along with siblings three
Actually, I remember her parents getting married
It’s been a while ago….
Beautiful child
beautiful young lady
but that’s not half the story
beyond the thousands I’ve seen
She is tall, tall cotton
Now I’m a farmer
to be sure
Growing crops for 50 years
I know what happens
to grow a crop
the things that come together
must
to get to that point
when the growing crop
is splendid
just before the harvest
Thinking, planning, doing,
working hard and tending
sticking with it, thick or thin
and then, sometimes,
it happens:
Tall, tall cotton
Came together
a thousand things
Blessing and my work
A joy to be noted
the special crop
the abundant harvest done
So she came, Suzanna,
across the stage that evening
Yes, beautiful young lady, outside,
but oh the measure inside
Tall, tall cotton
crossing the stage
shaking the hands proffered
Diploma signed, sealed, now delivered
“Congratulations!”
“Well done!”
Hugs to follow soon.
For just that moment
I got to share
with that field of tall, tall cotton
I’ll remember, cherish
the graduate
who moved the bar so high
so few will ever reach it
Selah, Lin 5/10