Amber Waves of Grain

America, the beautiful! How many times have you come across this phrase? It has been depicted in general conversation, poetic verse, essays, magazines, books, film, song and so much more. When Googled, you get about 587,000,000 results in .8 seconds. It is the heart of America, a basic essential, the harsh reality...the nitty-gritty! It is as common as apple pie & ice cream, peaches & cream, baseball & hot dogs, pimiento & cheese, peanut butter & jelly, beer & Monday night football, weekends & holidays, rainy days & Mondays...you get the picture!

One of America's icons of beauty is her amber waves of grain. Exactly what does Amber Waves of Grain mean? It is the second lyric in the song "America, the Beautiful." It describes the vastness of field after field of amber-colored wheat grown across the American plains. Wheat...the food staple found in breads, cereals, pastas, cakes, canned soups, frozen vegetables, sauces, dips, root beer, desserts, ...even ice cream, ice cream cones, sherbets, puddings, chocolate and chewing gum all contain wheat! WHEW! Think about what the world would be like without those amber waves of grain!  

[Unless the label says otherwise, it is almost safe to assume that the product contains wheat.]

Today, Awakenings is proud to feature Marcy @Hot Rod Cowgirl who is Riding Through Life One Horse At A Time...Courage Is Being Scared To Death But Saddling Up Anyway! Marcy is a true American who captures America the beautiful not only with her poignant words but also her awesome photography.

You are encouraged to visit Hot Rod Cowgirl where Marcy and Wild Bill are both riding through life one horse at a time! Giddy-up! AND Whoa! only when there is no other place to go! 

Let's join Marcy...

Somewhere Along the Highway

  
Somewhere along the highway

Lies a field of amber durum wheat
Where footsteps of ghostly laborers
Tread among its lofty, slender stalks

 

Visions unlock scattered memories

Of a holiday in the countryside

Where within the ardor of autumn

Lay noonday siestas and midday walks

Photographs, hand-written diaries

Faded memory at its best
Connect past with the present
As I ponder to still remember

 

Ripples of grain ebb like the ocean

When dew adorns the tips of the spikes

Whilst golden wheat is set against

Morning azures of September

 A journey down the highway

Begs leaning out the window
Storing mental images
While touched by misty rain

Lofty, slender stalks
Sway within the mist
Evoking America— 
"Amber waves of grain"

 ©2013 catnipoflife
Sharla Lee Shults

catnipoflife is Awakenings' sister site. 

A Bit of Catnip...

Isn’t life completely surrounded by the raw touch of nature? Captivating moments are right before our eyes, music to our ears, within our very grasp and under our noses waiting to be enjoyed. To inevitably understand living, we must observe life at its best, listen to life’s songs, embrace life’s bounties, breathe the breath of life and savor life to its fullest!

The beliefs behind Catnip of Life, aka catnipoflife, expose nature as a diamond in the rough and its power to heal. Poetic verses reveal openness to the world around us and how simple everyday happenings and observances make a difference, not only in our lives but also in the lives of others.

God Bless America, the Beautiful!
 

Take time to See the USA!