Leaving the hardwood forests
of my native Michigan,
I curl under the curve
of Lake Michigan on the map.
After enduring Chicago traffic,
I drive past the lush and productuve
soybean and corn fields
of northern Illinois and Iowa,
then the land opens up before me
in the near western plains.
The flat, Platte River weaves
its shallow course through Nebraska.
Large, durable Cottonwoods,
toughened by less rainfall,
line the river's banks;
their broad, brittle leaves
clatter in the wind.
© 2025 Richard Havenga
Photo Locations:
1. 2. & 3. North Platte, Nebraska
