Friday 24 July 2009

Farmers

Rough hewn, the men who turned this land,

who milked the sea, who fished the air,

who stacked up walls that soon contain

a farmer’s heart, a farmer’s fire.


Preposterous, an angry moor

transformed to fields of friendly hay;

to trim a beard of barleycorn

and lead his cows to school each day.


Preposterous to grow his bairns

by raking silver from the sea

or netting birds that laugh too loud

and hares that leap like butterflies.


Rough hewn, a face that falls to west:

his body leans against a wall

and whistles every tune he knows.

The point of rest? So he can toil.

12 comments:

  1. I real like this one. Farming(The Farmer) is important to me in that this is man’s second break with nature. You show this with “Preposterous, an angry moor transformed to fields of friendly hay” All economy starts with nature-- man taking from the land.

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  2. Applause is in order. A very well balanced poem, fully descriptive without being overworded.

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  3. Interesting and wonderful write! I see the passion to which you rest your type, as I, my own! =)

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  4. I love the perfect iambic tetrameter that carries you through the rural images, floating above the farmer in third person.

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  5. I'm just reading the Environmental History of the Uk and your poem fits in perfectly,

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  6. a farmers fire...that is something I remember...being raised on one...always in the heart...bkm

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  7. An enjoyable read with wonderful rhythm. I like poetry that says much in few well chosen words, well metered for rhythmic reading.

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  8. I'M VERY HAPPY TO READ THIS HEART TOUCHING RHYTHMS.

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  9. Just beautiful in everyway with heartfelt meaning for the farmers ;))

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  10. I aint no Isaac Asimov or poet laureate either, so I just gonna say; I read your rap, it did not make me ill.

    Rough hewn, the treasure he fashioned for her. A purse rough hewn, from the ear of a sow. Rough hewn, a, scented silken retainer. Enigmatic and unhearing now.

    Btw, have you heard of the circle of reciprocity?

    @Jack9eight5 was here.

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  11. Excellent! Thanks for thinking of the farmer. Well done!

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