"Steelville on My Mind" by Walter Richter

The place I remember

best is Steelville, Missouri.

It was my home so

many times. Different

times in my life for

different purposes I believe/

It reappears in my dreams

every week, the landscape

always adjusted and different

each time. But always

I know it is Steelville.

Like alternate universe

Steelvilles. The main

street, which is the town’s

spine. The hill to its

north with home on

It. The lonesome Yadkin

Creek slowly pushing

through, cutting the

town in half. The

dark greenery and lumber

trucks. Roast beef

at the Spare Rib Inn with

cottage cheese and brown

gravy on top.

The rusty railroad tracks

that serve as a walkway

for lost souls. The

Chinese restaurant on the

edge of town. The

convenience stores serving

as hubs for people en

route to somewhere, like a tool for

convenience socialization

and quick gossip. And the

homes where my

mother lived.