“Palouse”

I’ll never wander, no not I From rolling hills, and boundless sky. From waving wheat, and marching corn And solitary trees forlorn, That gaze at passers by. I’ll never wander, no not I For here I’m born, and here I’ll die. Here I schooled, and here I wed, Her I laughed, and tears I shed, As years lazed by. I’ll never wander, no not I From sparkling stream, with line and fly. From friends whose lives so intertwined Shared sorrow, pain, and joy, with mine N’er asking reason why. I’ll never wander, no not I For here ‘neath earth’s most beauteous sky, I’ve sown the seed, and reaped the gain, Jumped in snow, and danced in rain N’er heard the traveler’s cry. I’ll never wander, no not I And when it’s time to breathe good-bye, They’ll sing God’s praise, for all my years And render me amid their tears, In my beloved Palouse.