Making a Round

(looking through the fence at my father’s farm)

The afternoon of my nephew’s graduation, after taking as many photos

as my family members would stand,

my daughter and I, along with my brother,

‘made a round’ (family term)

at my father’s farm

El Perdido.

My father had just said to my nephew ( his grandson) Trey,

‘I know you’re trying to get that money out of my pocket that I have for you,’

when I took the picture.


And so, it made perfect sense, to visit something else that makes my father happy too-

his farm.

It was a sight for the eyes.

Hundreds and hundreds of acres of sunflowers-

as far as the eye could see it seemed.

This is not my father’s crop,

(he would insist I made that distinction),

but it is his land.

He leases his farm land.

It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful day.

As I turned to get into Hauler 2,

I looked back and saw my brother locking the gate.

He has done that a million times.



I can hear my father’s voice somewhere back in our childhood

saying to my brother,

‘Can you get the gate?’