Waking up on cold, frigid, winter morn

Looking like snowy storms, soon to be born

Pulling warm covers over this bare head

Let’s fast forward to new season instead

Always dreaming with bigness every night

Never alone, tasting perfect delight

Traveling ahead to hot summer day

Feeling urge to jump up, shouting to say

Has one ever seen more beautiful sky?

Sensational, unblemished blue so high

Treasure State’s journey, mines purest pleasures

Opening saddlebag, full of treasures

Shining high above, fullest sun in view

Sharing smiles with heavens, always be true

Western hospitality, comes this way

Be sure to come back, as we always say

From warmest hearts, joy overflows with grace

Montana’s Big Sky, lifetime’s “Last Best Place”

This poem reworks the theme from a previously published poem from 2019.  The much-improved verses were inspired by the 1990 publication of The Last Best Place:  A Montana Anthology.  Through eight chapters and over 800 pages, the works of numerous Montana authors can be read.  Each illustrates the unique way of life and history found in Montana’s Big Sky Country.

From the top left and moving clockwise:  Southwestern montana’s tobacco root mountains form the western wall along the madison river valley, montana ingenuity is discovered at a rest area along interstate 90, the hospitality of the community of ennis is found up and down its main street, the former parmly library building in billings–now home to the western heritage center, from a distance the “sphinx” formation is visible along southwestern Montana’s madison range (about 10 miles east of the community of cameron).