I was born under a Texas full moon, out in the middle of the woods somewhere. Don't need a flashlight, the moon is so bright. You can hear the call of the wild coyote and the hiss of the mating locust.
The air is chilly and the wind light. All you need is one match to light the biggest fire in all of Texas. The smell of split pine; the oakiness of the pin oak trees. There's even a hint of hickory in the middle of the stack.
Stick the match to the pine and watch it go up. I feel my stomach growl and all I can think about is mama's biscuits and red-eye gravy but all we have is a pot of chili.
It's hot enough to set us all on fire but we eat it and it keeps us warm. The fire is dying down some and I pull out my harmonica. I play a few lonesome tunes and the coyotes sing along.
When it's time to hit the sack, I've got my saddle for a pillow and blanket off the back of my horse. We keep the fire going through the night and as I drift off to sleep, I watch the embers float towards the sky and dance in the shadow of the Texas full moon.
©Ashley Yarbrough 12/2011
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