Sodbuster’s Creed
Folks like us …
This hard-scrabble ground has remained the same
Ain’t changed one damn iota from the day we came
If we grow anything, poor is the best that we’ll do
Rain is ever so mighty scare and the yields are few
That ol’ sun blazes down upon us day after hot day
Burnin’ the life out of every little thing in its way
Evaporating the precious moisture; robbin’ our life
Leaving us but little ’cept our own sweat and strife
The winters are cold; too cold for the likes of man
Everything is frozen until spring thaw comes again
We rip up the ground and plant our precious seed
With hopes that the crops will bring what we need
We ain’t got much but we had less when we came
As poor as it sounds, we are winners in this game
We have fought the elements, sun, wind and draught
We have stayed the duration; you can’t run us out
Folks like us don’t give up easily; we stay and fight
We’re not quitters by any means; it wouldn’t be right
Man was put here to till the ground and provide
It’s not impossible; just need some luck on our side
This piece of ground and the roof over our head
Is far more than some have; this is our homestead
And we’ll work it until the last of us finally drops
When we pass this world and our last breath stops
We are thankful for what we have; some got none
Life is hard but we are amongst the chosen ones
To have a little food, a roof, and a warm place to lay
Is more than a lot of folks got at the end of the day
Every time precious rain falls from the sky up above
We fall on our knees and thank God for his love
We pray that our crops will flourish and survive
So we can share with them with no luck on their side
Some folks never even had much on which to hope
Some gave up too quick, they just couldn’t cope
We figures that something beats nothing all the same
God’s blessed us with more than we had when we came
God never promised that life would not be a chore
He gave us all we bargain for and maybe a bit more
But no matter how hard it is, we’ll never turn away
We’ll work and see this ol’ farm to a better day
So as we stand here on this hard-scrabble ground
We look upon much to be thankful for all around
The hard work, the pain and struggles of just living
Are much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving
©Copyright WBrown2011. All Rights Reserved.
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We have to admire the true grit of the working man in the fields and on the farm. Day in day out they toil hoping they plant their crops in time before bad weather sets in. Under the hot sun they blister their hands, but nothing will stop a farmer from laying his crop down. The tractor can be heard every day as it chugs along the path it creates daily dropping the seeds of a harvest ahead. I love the rhyme again with this one Wayne, I could hear, see and feel the toil of a farmer working his fields. Bravo
BTW if you click on the very far left of your posting page at the bottom, you can make your images become the feature image, so it will appear above your postings when you click PUBLISH. just a tip for you my friend.
Thanks for the good word and the advice. I am still finding my way around that format.
Here’s a link that will help you with your finding your way around posting. I printed this out and keep it beside my computer for reference.
http://www.creativeexiles.com/help-new-members/
Oh Wayne, this so reminds me of days gone by when my Dad and Grandpa worked hard in the fields to provide for family. The least little thing would bring joy and thanks to God. Beautiful verse.
Thanks for the transport to there. Gentle reminder it is about gratefulness.