Chicken Farmer
They called him a chicken farmer but he only had one chicken
They called him a chicken farmer ’cause’ he scratched the dirt to make a livin’
So hungry one day he ate his only chicken
Nothing left of that bird but some finger lickin’
Trying to pull food from a patch of ground
A struggle from sun up to sun down
His field was full of sticks and stones
HIs name was John but they called him bones
The drought dried up his farming dream
The flood took his house down stream
Day after day nothing but bad luck
The bank foreclosed taking his last buck
He headed his old rusty truck to town
Misfortune had finally gotten’ him down
Finding work for a chicken farmer is hard
Came the perfect job, tending a grave yard
They still call him a chicken farmer even without a chicken
He’s still scratching the dirt to make a livin’
HIs field is still full of sticks and stones
But the sticks are shaped like crosses and names are on the stones
He digs six foot holes
He plants departed souls
His plots are in a neatly spaced row
This is one crop he hopes won’t grow
They may call him a chicken farmer but now he’s doing well
Its easy living’ and his family is doing swell
He’s not plowing’ and digging’ or getting’ dirty
He’s just waitin’ for his social security
- Mr. Murry, A Ghost Story - October 26, 2018
- Writers on the Web by John West - July 23, 2017
- Marshallville 4 - July 20, 2017







John, I am so happy to read your first post here. This is a great poem, I love it. You did a good job. It was a pleasure to talk with you on the phone this morning and I am so pleased you caught on so fast to publish your first poem with us. Well done, my friend, well done.
Well, this was certainly a unique piece o writing, John. Quite a fun piece to read. Good to have you here at TCE. I look forward to reading more of your creativity.
I too would like to say welcome to TCE John. We’re always excited when a new writer joins the group and brings their skills to share with our audience. Looking forward to reading more of your work in the future!