Trees rustle in the wind, and the smell of pine is everywhere
The crackling of the campfire, the smell of burnt marshmallows
These are the things I love about Yosemite
The waterfalls rushing down the mountain and the meadows

Every summer, we would gather together with family
We would sit around the crackling fire pit
Birds chirping and bears prowling for food
There was never a happier moment than this.

I would sit along the river, listening to the rushing flow
And dream about living here forever.
It was an escape from my life back in the city
The life I never wanted to go back to ever.

In the mountains, I could be anyone
I would go off by myself to think and ponder my life
Just me with God, sitting along the river
Not thinking about my pain and strife

God would meet me here in this place
And give me peace that I couldn’t understand
I was only a kid, but I knew he was there
To pick me up when I couldn’t stand

It was the respite I needed in my young life
Away from everything that caused my pain.
To dream of someplace, I could fly away to
This was my sunshine in the middle of the rain.

Jesse