I remember whispers of parties back home
And all the girls I wanted to be like
Resentful and bitter ‘cause I didn’t get an invite
No, I’ve never been to a party in my hometown
You either want to fit in, or can’t wait to get out
But these days I look back and smile instead
And wonder if they think about me now and then
And when I leave
It’s not the first time, it won’t be the last
And everyone says the years go fast
Running far sure is harder than I thought
When every road leads back to southern Vermont
And though I’m not the same girl as when I first flew out,
Things never do change in this two-street town
To go from
Far away places to familiar dirt roads
I’m lucky to be one of the few who know
Mud season and fires shining through summer nights
Streets flying flags of purple and white
And while my soul tends to go wherever it’s called,
I know it always has a place there in Bellows Falls
Sincerely,
Nina King
Bellows Falls, Vt.