May 1997, Pennsylvania

It was a warm spring and the wind was blowing. It was a beautiful meadow full of gorgeous sunflowers. The meadow wasn't too far from the small town of Groffdale. Some people would come and read poetry in the meadow. Many poems had been written about the meadow.

'Tis a dull sight
To see the year dying,
When winter winds
Set the yellow wood sighing
Sighing, oh! sighing.

When such a time cometh,
I do retire
Into and old room
Beside a bright fire:
Oh, pile a bright fire!

And there I sit
Reading old things,
Of knights and lorn damsels,
While the wind sings—
Oh, drearily sings!

I never look out
Nor attend to the blast;
For all to be seen
Is the leaves falling fast:
Falling, falling!

But close at the hearth,
Like a cricket, sit I,
Reading of summer
And chivalry—
Gallant chivalry!

Then with an old friend
I talk of our youth!
How 'twas gladsome, but often
Foolish, forsooth:
But gladsome, gladsome!

Or to get merry
We sing some old rhyme,
That made the wood ring again
In summertime—
Sweet summertime!

Then go we to smoking,
Silent and snug:
Nought passes between us,
Save a brown jug—
Sometimes!

And sometimes a tear
Will rise in each eye,
Seeing the two old friends
So merrily—
So merrily!

And ere to bed
Go we, go we,
Down on the ashes
We kneel on the knee,
Praying together!

Thus, then, live I,
Till, 'mid all the gloom,
By heaven! the bold sun
Is with me in the room
Shining, shining!

Then the clouds part,
Swallow soaring between;
The spring is alive,
And the meadows are green!

I jump up, like mad,
Break the old pipe in twain,
And away to the meadows,
The meadows again!

Josiah's grandfather said as he ran his hands through blades of grass. His grandfather was a tall man with a broad build. He had a grey beard and hazel eyes. He wore the traditional clothing an old order Mennonite man. The uniform was a suspender with a dress shirt underneath.

Josiah loved it when his grandfather read to him. It made think of his mother reading to him before he went to bed. Josiah's favorite place to be was the meadow; it reminded him of the wonderful gifts that god had given him.

"My father brought me here, when I was your age." Josiah's grandfather said.

Josiah looked up at his grandfather and smiled at him. Josiah always like to spend time with his grandfather. His bishop always said that it was good to spend time with elders.

"Why did he do that?" Josiah was a boy of six, who was very curious about the world. He had brown hair that was wavy and short, his green eyes that were as cute as a button. For a boy his age he was average height.

Josiah's grandfather rubbed his beard and shrugged his shoulders. He leaned back against a tree and looked deeply into his grand eyes.

"He brought me here to tell me something very important."

Josiah scooted closer his grandfather to hear his voice better. Josiah looked at his grandfather's hands and noticed how worn out they looked. Josiah traced the lines on his grandfather's hands slowly.

"What did he tell you?" Josiah asked.

Josiah's grandfather laughed and held his grandson's hand for a minute. Josiah leaned his head on his grandfather's chest. Josiah heard the beating of his grandfather's heart, it was calming.

"My father said to me the greatest thing we have in this life is faith. Don't ever let anyone take that away from you son, especially them wider world woman." Josiah's grandfather stated.

Josiah thought about the bible that sat in his living room. It was very important to his parents and all his siblings. Maybe the bible would be important to him one day.

"What's a wider world woman, grandpa?" Josiah asked.

Josiah had heard people whisper about outsiders before; sometimes they would come to buy good from his family. The outsiders always wore strange clothes and looked at him funny.

" A women that isn't of our kind." Josiah's grandfather answered.

Josiah lifted his head from his grandfather's lap. He looked up at the sky and wondered where god lived. If god was so powerful and glorious, why didn't he save all the lost souls?

"What wrong with wider world woman?" Josiah asked.

"They walk with the devil." His grandfather answered.

Josiah nodded and swore to himself that he would never walk with the devil.