2010 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook

Child of the Sun
by Lillian M. Fisher
Education
I am Child of sand and sun,
of open space and sky,
Where mesa table-tops lie bare
and purple buttes are high.
My blood flows back a thousand years
to people strong and good
Who tamed this land of little rain
where others never could.
We made our homes of rock and earth
and worked the farms below,
Carried water from the stream
that sometimes didn’t flow.
We starved, we fought our enemies,
but we loved and laughed and prayed,
And even in the darkest times,
somehow . . . we stayed.
Then others came to change our lives,
we struggled, kept our ways.
We loved our past, our ancient ones,
and clung to yesterdays.
I am the child of my ancestors,
proud child of sand and sun.
We make our home on mesa tops
and my people . . . we are one!
110 2010 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT Factbook