Tall

By John I. Blair

I come from Kansas
Where oftentimes
A tree might be
The tallest thing in sight.

When I was small
I used to be obsessed
With how many stories tall
A building stood.

I’d count the window lines
As though it really mattered
And be upset
To miss a single row.

But after years I know
How seldom size relates
Against the life
That has transpired within

And, measured right,
The biggest place in Kansas
Was the modest house
Where I grew tall.

©2015 John I. Blair