OKLAHOMA PRIDE

Five tribes of Indians, long ago,
Came treaty-bound into this land
With silent dreams and blinded hope.
With faith they shook the white man’s hand.

The years went by and soon things changed
When progress and the white man came
To change their home into a state
While giving it an Indian name.

When statehood came, the rush was on
And people came from all around
To lay their claims and place their stakes
To earn themselves a piece of ground.

Some tried to gain advantages
By laying claims before the start.
These “Sooners” may have been unfair,
But still we took their name to heart.

Those early days were trouble ones
Which quickly passed into a haze
When too much wind and lack of rain
Brought us into the Dust Bowl days.

The farmers hoped and prayed for ways
To stop the wind, but still it blew.
They tried to make a better life,
But times were hard and jobs were few.

Then rumors spread about a place
Where workers were in great demand.
To California many went,
Hoping to find the promised land.

The citrus crops provided jobs,
So many sacrificed their pride
And worked for meager wages with
The other “Okies”, side by side.

In time, the only things they found
Were lack of work and sympathy,
And “Grapes of Wrath” are hardly fruits
With which to feed a family.

So home they went with spirits low
To face the Dust Bowl once again
In deep despair and without hope,
But that’s when Uncle Sam stepped in.

The Conservation Corps helped build
Some lakes to catch the falling rains
While planting trees to stop the wind
As it came sweeping down the plains.

In time the land was fertile and
The ground was soon producing wheat
To help provide a way of life
With food for everyone to eat.

It’s grown into a fine, young state.
It’s been my home, and I’m allowed
To brag of Oklahoma for
I’m Okie born, and Okie proud.

Aug. 19, 1984