THE FARM
There’s a farm atop that yonder hill
An old man plies his labours still
There’s grass enough for cows to graze
And crops he tends like beans and maize
He ploughed the sod when it was new
And in its clearing, trees he hew
He settled there before the road
Before cars were a transport mode
Horses and wagons ruled back then
His eggs fresh daily from a hen
Now alas, farms are fading fast
Dim reminders of our past.
When armed with scythes upon the mow
Our wheat was cut and with a bow
The sheaves were tied with the harvest knot
And food was cooked in an iron pot.
Nowadays if by chance a farm you find
It’s probably the corporate kind
There are no people going to and fro
Just machines that make it go
There are no farmers on the land
No more cow-men close at hand
And farmers’ wives are long-gone too
A dying kind, it’s sad but true.
I have reached the regrettable realization that I may have squandered my life. I did a quick count recently and figured that I have visited about 66 countries, and lived for more than 3 years in 3 of them. During this time I completed 14 corporate moves (relocations) and have changed my address more than 23 times. I should have settled on a profession that would have kept me in one place with no packing and unpacking.
When I think of the time I have spent bundling my life into and out of boxes. Ah well, it's all water under the bridge. But I am grateful for the experience. At the end of the day I will be able to say with a certain authority, "been there, done that".
A note about this site’s Header Image The Header image for this site is of the Smith Avenue High Bridge. The bridge was built in 1889 and carries Minnesota State Highway 149 across its span of 2770 feet, 160 feet above the mighty Mississippi River. The picture was taken from the river looking to the north-east and downtown Saint Paul. The bridge is about 1040 miles from New Orleans.
One of the reasons I like this view is that I come from a city which has a spectacular bridge. It’s the Clifton Suspension Bridge http://www.ikbrunel.org.uk/clifton-suspension-bridge which spans the Avon Gorge and the River Avon in Bristol, U.K. It’s about 1350 feet long and stands 245 feet above the river below. Sadly it has claimed the lives of more than 400 people who have committed suicide by jumping from the bridge. As a side note, not all attempts were successful. two small girls thrown off the bridge by their deranged father survived the fall when they were fished from the river by the crew of a passing pilot boat.
The bridge was opened in 1864 and was designed by the 24 year old architect, Isambard Kingdom brunel. It took 35 years to complete.
Nice poem and great ‘moody’ sky in the picture. I went on a farm visit a couple of years back with work. It was a dairy farm, and the cows were milked by robotic milking machines. Incredible. Reinforcing what you have written about.
Sad truth. My mother’s family grew cotton in North Alabama. I loved to go out in the fields and see the plants in the red clay soil. The cotton still grows there but it is big business now, as you say. Wonderful drawing, Nigel.
Fa - the Green Dragon 
February 26, 2017 at 12:49 am
Another great poem and watercolour, loving these. 🤗
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February 26, 2017 at 8:46 am
Nice poem and great ‘moody’ sky in the picture. I went on a farm visit a couple of years back with work. It was a dairy farm, and the cows were milked by robotic milking machines. Incredible. Reinforcing what you have written about.
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February 26, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Sad truth. My mother’s family grew cotton in North Alabama. I loved to go out in the fields and see the plants in the red clay soil. The cotton still grows there but it is big business now, as you say. Wonderful drawing, Nigel.
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February 28, 2017 at 11:16 am
Agriculture was my first passion. I spent lots of time messing about on a farm. Nowadays I just have my backyard woodland.
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