John was his name
A dream and hard work drove him to a place I now stand
Ten kids, a wife, and no home made him settle
For a sod in the year 1887
They knew little English
But they spoke fluent German
At night the boys where in the barn
And the girls in the mud plastered walls
The mother Caroline, would call for the boys in the evenings
All twelve of them gathered in that tiny home
And bowed their heads to thank the Lord for the home they now had

Many decades later
John had many grandkids and great grandkids
But he and his wife were far long gone
The sod house to a two story home
With white paint and flowers along it
The little garden that they had
Now is a looming and prosperous two thousand acres
Few came by this house, but the ones who did
Knew the story of this man named John

A women who was married
To one of John's great grandkids
Came by this place often with her horse
She wrote "The prairie talks to you if you know how to listen
I am at home at this place
The dirt and sky and wind are my family
I know this land, I hate concrete, and lights and noises of town
The sound of God puts me to sleep in this place
It whispers to you, hush all your pain, hush your barking worldly troubles
Here you can lay down in the cradle of God
Rest easy, here with all the spirits of the ages, rest easy

I am from this place
I often wonder what it would be like
If John and I would have traded shoes
When I am at this place
Whispering though the wind
And making the prairie move
I can often hear him say
"Heute genieBen, und hart arbeiten, morgen"
" Enjoy today, and work hard tomorrow"