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The USA

GOD’S COUNTRY

Ill at ease in the land of plenty
Ill at ease in the land of plenty

Wouldn’t you know it, we are now sitting in the middle of America the Beautiful, in lawn chairs on the deck behind our rented space, interpreting fluffy white cloud shapes in a deep blue sky. Seriously, you can see God smiling down from heaven in silky rays of light upon the purple mountains.

And I have to say it surprised me when so many of the people I passed on the street this past week smiled with wide open faces. The farmers market on Thursday rivaled any of the 3rd world markets we’ve been to for eye-blinding succulent produce. And the streets are clean and tended with colorful beds of flowers and (dare I say) white picket fences.

Everything speaks of dedication and pride here. It is wonderful to behold. And yet, I’m not ready to accept it at face value. I keep peering around the corner, looking for the impoverished alley with its hanging laundry and piles of garbage. It all seems too good to be true and I just want to know, “What’s the catch?”

By Camille Armantrout

Camille lives with her soul mate Bob in the back woods of central North Carolina where she hikes, gardens, cooks, and writes.

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