REFLECTION ON MISSISSIPPI

Reflection on Mississippi BY TEDDY TIBBS ‘23

I wrote this poem after a weekend visit to Mississippi, where my family is originally from. This car trip was from Memphis, Tennessee to Cleveland, Mississippi.

An old Cadillac floats past the snow-white fields, Its old dents have traveled here before . Soft blue-sky surrounds all, Enveloping the ground . The cotton ball clouds follow the aging white car . As we pass the ripe fields, I feel a sense of peace . I belong here, among the sprawling magnolias and cypresses .

Old brick houses fall apart, Tin roofs rust to match the soil, Only dilapidated store fronts remain, A transient monument to ancient greatness . Something to live up to .

In Cleveland there are too many yard crosses to count, This oasis draws people who continue tradition, They greet strangers as if they had known each other forever . Here, people preserve the old ways through dress, décor and kindness . As I walk through downtown, I wish I could stay forever, But life snatches me away from this strange paradise .

Again, an old Cadillac floats across the cracked road, The clouds retreat behind us as “white gold” is harvested, Rolled into bales by men with no opportunity, Given shoddy homes and failing schools run with the promise of help .

As the long car sails through the never-ending white ocean, I think about the people who will never live this land . Trapped in a world of concrete, tweets, and posts, Tall towers that touch the gray New England sky . While they denounce these proud people of being deluded and irrational, They believe that their few genuine experiences give them that power . A sad notion as I look out the window to the passing pecan trees, Waving a sort of goodbye as the Cadillac hums by .

As the cracked road becomes more than a two-lane highway, My enlightened journey comes to an end .