An Open Love Letter to North Carolina

When I was in high school my best friend was K. He was a foot taller than me and had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. He was a very restful friend for me, I could be myself in silence, without explanation, and it was enough. He had a typing class my junior year and when done with his work for the class he would type out song lyrics to various songs that he had memorized and I had to guess the artists. It's harder than it sounds people, he listened to groups like Def Leopard and Red Hot Chili Peppers (my appreciate for RHCP came later in life), I was listening to Depeche Mode, U2 and the Cure.

Anyway. I'm not sure how I got off on that embarrassing tangent...

In honor of my affectionate memory of that time, I give you my open love letter to North Carolina. I listened to it as I drove from my former apartment to my parent's house out in the country. I have not the words to adequately describe how I have loved my time there. I hope that in a year, I shall return and call it my more permanent home.



Dear North Carolina,

Fare thee well
My own true love
Farewell for a while
I’m going away
But I’ll be back
Though I go 10,000 miles

10,000 miles
My own true love
10,000 miles or more
The rocks may melt
And the seas may burn
If I should not return

Oh don’t you see
That lonesome dove
Sitting on an ivy tree
She’s weeping for
Her own true love
As I shall weep for mine

Oh come ye back
My own true love
And stay a while with me
If I had a friend
All on this earth
You’ve been a friend to me.*

Love and Affection,

M

*10,000 Miles by Mary Chapin Carpenter