Ole Homewood

 Old Homewood

John Stokes

On this October 16th, Rev Luther Ray Stokes birthday.

The coming November turning of the mill

Around old Homewood the family collecting

Traveling to gather for the syrup making

To Thanksgiving blueberry pancakes waking.

Hear the old yellow Gravely powering up

Setting the wheels upon the circling path

Warm to the rabbit burners kerosene drip

Soon to boil the juices hop and skip.

Face aglow he adjusted the burners flame

As buckets of juice into the kettle came

At sixty gallons we stopped the squeezing 

To begin the boiling juices skimming.

Nearing noon the right specific gravity

Down to ten gallons the syrup beginning to candy

Quickly we quenched the flame and dipped

Through muslin the amber poured and bottled.

Then we would give thanks around the mill

In the sugar shack tables were filled

And we would pray this would always be

The making of old Homewood with friends and family.