As child I daily roamed the dairy farm observing much and especially enjoyed our huge draft horses. Birds, insects, trees and plants, woods and fields all still have special place in my heart.
Strength
4-19-2016, 7 pm
Our Tom and Chuck, of draft horse breed,
We’d often sit and watch them feed
From steps above where feed box lay
And hear them munch their grain and hay.
Immense they were of strength and size,
We felt they more than filled our eyes,
Could hand feed heads of magnitude,
Few apples showed our gratitude.
Was hard to guess a horses worth,
Connected us back to the earth,
Still hear the plough soft tear plant roots
Midst steady clomp of natural brutes.
The voice commands were short and few
Made them one on what to do,
At end of field would smooth set up,
Turn, “Gee or haw”, tongue cluck, getup.
Oft’ at day’s end in upper field
A special gift to us Dad filled,
He’d lift us up to ride them home,
Our legs straight out on muscled bone.
To feel their strength soft rippling,
Just being up there ran through our being,
Our sleigh bell ride down winter road
Could not quite touch the days we rode.
We kept them in the barn at night
So needing then not have to fight
To get them in for work that day;
Once harnessed up they were okay.
Winter’s break stirred maple trees,
Down bucket trail sap collect with ease,
Shared special times at sugar camp,
Breathed boiled steam both warm and damp.
Role integral, the farm help rule,
In father’s hands were his best tool;
Yet once retired and tractor used,
We kept a while, lest richness lose.
Our Dad would whistle them at will,
For treat they’d gallop from far hill,
Saw massiveness in strength display
They stirred deep awe, immense could play.
At times they chase us as we played
If close in pasture we had strayed,
They too enjoyed the world as theirs,
Like us small kids they had few cares.
Once toddler walked ‘neath in their stall,
They gently whinnied, ne’re moved at all,
Let sister draw him out by hand;
Thanked angels that around us stand.
Too, unbeknownst when Dad hay mowed
Small child had followed up the road
To sleep in grass; would’ve hit next round,
But horses stopped, ears arched, child found.
They wagon pulled, Mom fork-placed hay,
Which Dad forked it up, we kids ran play,
Dad dressed off load, to barn to store,
Horse pulled roped fork, then back for more.
Came on black snake hid in the hay
Yet horses never ran away,
Our gentle giants kept their place;
Were meant to be this time and space.
Days came too, fight work, Chuck’s art;
Dad said, he’d stand on head and fart,
As Dad wouldn’t lie, Bernard’s mind did leap
And try construct this mighty feat.
For Chuck was young and garden wouldn’t plow,
Unless Tom walked his left the while,
For light work was their only need
So keeping them be worth the feed.
A second tractor sealed their fate,
Two Amish farmers, evening late,
At Father's whistle half mile away,
Heads snapped up then galloped our way.
The men, home sewed clothes, smiled with eyes,
They viewed the team like special prize,
Don’t know sell cost of our home team,
Just firm handshake ends childhood dream.
Still feel the might of these two steeds,
Midst tales, how smart, their doing of deeds;
Once hours stood in new corn row
When father left to house fire go.
Loved ask for treats with muffled neigh
If we ran by them during the day;
So strong this team yet they’d greet us,
Real strength gives ease, no need to fuss.
God built in them their quality,
Intelligence, horse dignity,
They shared their strength, did not compete,
Thus everyday they were complete.
Meadowlark
9-18-2018
Oh meadow lark of yesteryear, You’re sixty generations gone, Still see your nest hid in the grass, My thrill still there to sneak up on. Saw tuff ore tail as you flew off,We never touched your speckled eggs,Just glanced, moved on, so you’d come back, Fence post protected from cow legs. You’re such a part of that spring holeWe brought cows past up to the barn, Still smell stirred mud, still hear your song,Of what you are, we still belong.
Sonnet for a Butterfly
4-25-2021
A butterfly soft fluttered by
Watched tapping nectar as it went,
Its iridescence touched the eye,
Spread genes from flowers pollen sent.
Strong legs would grasp where it would land,
Uncoiled tongue for deep search food,
Slow pumped it wings for seconds stand,
A flit and on its way ensued.
Monarch is known far best by all,
Can fly to Mexico and back,
Just how strong is this natures call,
Mere insect here, how does that stack?
See birds and mammals vast migrate,
That beauty flies; there’s sense sensate.
Why Cricket Songs
5-7-2023
Just wondered in from down the woods,
There’s graciousness in light of day,
Still hear the crickets everywhere,
There’s much these sounds here have to say.
Endlessness first comes to mind,
Extends beyond our farms confines,
They seem connect with everything,
They resonate a thousand minds.
For often when I listen deep
In dead of winter, dark of night,
I still can hear their million songs,
For all that’s wrong, there is more right.
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