love letter
My Dearest Land,
"The owners of the land came"(31). They have come to take you away from me. I can not stand the thought of loosing you over those who claim they own you. They come to take advantage of you because they believe you are going to waste. "If the dust only wouldn't fly"(32), then maybe I could keep having you to myself. I keep thinking that "Maybe the next year will be a good year"(32), but they keep answering me that "it's too late"(32). I don't think its too late, it will be too late if they plant cotton. "The monster has to have profits all the time"(32), and it does not care that we will be separated. The bank will separate us forever, but I do not know what to do anymore. I have "no clothes, torn an' ragged"(33), yet I stay here with you and now I am being kicked out. You are my land and I want to stay with you.
It is unfair to come here and steal you from me as my "Grampa took up the land, and he had to kill the Indians and drive them away. And Pa was born here, and he killed weeds and snakes. An' we was born here"(33). How can they just come and say that I must leave you? They do not know how it is to love you. You who watched my father grow, you who watched me grow. How can I just leave? If i leave, you will not watch my kids grow. I have a reason to love you were I grew up, I want my kids to have the same love for you when i'm gone. I just hope that some miracle will happen so I can stay and continue loving you as I do now.
Time is running out and I do not know what to do. "The tractors came over the roads"(35) and started their work on you. The men working them keep reminding us that we must leave you behind and find some other place to continue our life. "But if we go, where'll we go"(34)? My family and I have no idea what to do without you. I think that my family will leave as I have heard them talk already. But I will not give up on you. Even if they do leave it will be without me. I have no intentions of leaving you because you are all I know and all I ever want to know. I will never give up on you.
Love,
Muley Graves
Make sure to capitalize your "I"s
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