The Long Road Home
Being an engineer for a major oil company required lots of travel,
So much so that I often felt as if I might just come unraveled,
The poem takes you on a trip home with me after being gone,
Reinforcing that there will never be anyplace as good as home.
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The Long Road Home
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When I often traveled when I was an engineer for Phillips Oil,
The best part of the trip was when I headed back to US soil.
It gave me such a great feeling to finally be headed for home,
To again see my family that had been lonely since I was gone.
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I had been given a new assignment to review a partner facility,
To be sure they were still operating within the realm of reality.
On the north west coast of Australia way on out in the outback.
I had finished my work and was heading back after I did pack.
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Karratha, Austrailia.
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A Boeing 707 from Karratha to Perth was the first leg of my three day trek home.
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It was the longest trip home that I did take from Karratha, Australia.
From up on the north west coast where they grow the Magnolia.
I rode a plane first down to Perth on the Aussie south west coast.
And stayed a night right there, where kangaroos they do roast.
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First thing in the morning I caught a big Boeing 747 to Sydney,
On the south east Aussie coast already feeling so travel weary.
I stayed a night there, then hopped another plane for the USA,
Wishing I could have gone on without stopping and be on my way
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The next morning I got on a Douglas DC 10 to Tokyo, Japan,
Refueling there, then flying to Los Angeles a very tired man.
We changed planes there and then flew straight on to Denver,
Feeling like I had been run over by a truck with very large fenders.
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After a long wait at the airport there, I caught a plane to Tulsa,
Feeling so weary right now looking down at the Colorado mesas.
After what felt like an eternity, I saw the beautiful Tulsa lights,
Feeling better since this was the very end of all my long flights.
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But, I still had one more ride before I finally made my destination,
I caught the limo to Bartlesville to get back to my home station.
Pam picked me up a the Phillips transportation center there,
After hugs and kisses, I headed on home to grab me a beer.
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There was no better feeling to get back to my home once again.
I traveled so much around the world in those days back then,
That I learned so many times after I had been so long gone,
That there’s much truth to the saying “there’s no place like home.”
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By Bill
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Thanks for reading The Long Road Home,
Bill