(A children’s book in need of an artist)

Deep in the green leafy forests of Southern Appalachia there is a place

Where the sun shines and the grass grows and a winding country road curves just like the river through the valley

Where the great blue herons fish and the groundhogs nibble on fresh clover 

Where nestled into a hillside along the valley is an old house with a shaded front porch

Where a little girl named Maggie sits and watches rain clouds gather

When it begins to rain, she sits on the edge of the porch, feet dangling in space 

And she watches the water tumble down the hillside across the valley in ribbons of water 

And the rain is caught, then drips from the maple leaves that shade the old house

Maggie listens to the patter of drops against the old glass window panes 

Then, like it always does, the rain stops

The damp fields sparkle under the sun

And the creek is just a little faster and a little higher

And the sweet warm air is inviting 

Maggie hops off the porch into the soft grass, wet blades of grass poking up between her toes

And, like she always does, sets off to explore

… and, oh, what treasures await!