Welcome to Spring Hope, NC

Come,

see a town that wears its name

like a porch light left on.

*

Spring Hope,

nestled in North Carolina’s quiet heart,

where time doesn’t race;

it rocks gently

on the front porch swing.

*

Here,

the trains no longer hum,

a soft reminder of what time has done.

*

Stroll down Main Street,

where antique shops spill stories

and every smile feels earned.

Only,

I never went into these places;

I just knew that

they existed.

*

Murals, magnolias,

homemade pie at the diner;

you’ll find beauty where it’s been all along.

When the azaleas bloom,

the whole town exhales.

*

However, time has changed it;

diners and restaurants don’t

last past a year now.

And only in certain parts

will you see the flowers.

Mostly,

you’ll just see a lot of

lifelessness

and a street or two that’s

like Rocky Mount.

*

Nothing stays the same anymore.

*

Laughter floated from open windows,

kids ran barefoot through festivals,

and neighbors waved like they meant it,

because they did.

*

Visit during the Pumpkin Festival

and you’ll see how they turn a simple gourd

into something worth dancing for.

Music, handmade crafts,

and the scent of barbecue in the air;

southern hospitality served hot and golden.

*

This is a place where

sunsets could paint the fields in gold,

and the hush of evening

sounded like belonging.

*

In Spring Hope,

we grew more than gardens.

*

We grew kindness.

We grew stories.

We grew stillness.

*

Two and a half years,

I’ve been away.

It’s no longer my home,

so I don’t know what’s stayed

and what else has changed.

Or if things have returned

to the vibe it once had

back when I was a child.

*

So, take a breath.

Take your time.

Take the scenic route.

Spring Hope is waiting.

*

Maybe you’ll find something

I couldn’t find anymore.