King City

King City

by Mabel Plaskett

After two long years of roaming,
I was stepping off the train;
And the vision of King City
Met my hungry gaze again.

Eagerly my eyes swept broadway
For a dear familiar face,
Eagerly my footsteps turning,
Sought each well remembered place.

I had climbed the high Sierras,
I had trod the southern shore,
Each new wonder, O King City,
Made me long for you the more.

Often in the far off city,
As I closed my eyes at night,
I could see Salinas River,
And its bridge of blazing light.

In my dreams I saw the faces
Of my loved ones come and go—
I would wake and o’er my pillow
My nostalgic tears would flow.

To your arms I am returning,
Bravely, with a high resolve,
Weary, wrestling with a problem
I, a woman, cannot solve.

What is past cannot be altered,
And regret is all in vain.
Here, where I was born and nurtured,
I shall learn to live again.

I can’t analyze my feelings
I, King City, know not why-
But I know I’ve always loved you,
And that love will never die.

Mabel E. Plaskett.