A FARMER AND HIS PORCH SWING
Author: ADINE CATHEY
THIS OLD FARMER GOT UP EARLY EVERY MORNING
WORKED HARD IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN,
BY THREE O'CLOCK HE WAS READY TO TAKE A NAP
BY OH MY, HARDLY ANY OF HIS WORK WAS DONE.
THE PLOW HAD TWO BROKEN POINTS
MAYBE HE COULD FILE THEM DOWN,
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER WEEK
BEFORE HE HEADED TOWARDS TOWN.
THE FARMER'S WIFE HAD DONE A BIG WASHING
THE CLOTHES WERE FLAPPING IN THE WIND,
SHE NEEDED SOME ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE
SHE HAD SOME BUTTER AND EGGS TO SEND.
HIS OLD BLACK PICK-UP TRUCK HAD A FLAT TIRE
IT WAS SITTING BY THE GARDEN GATE,
THE PAINT WAS PEELING AND RUSTY IN SPOTS
NO TIME TO FIX IT TODAY, THAT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT.
THE TRACTOR BROKE DOWN AND NEEDED FIXING
THE MULE GOT OUT AND TORE THE FENCE YESTERDAY,
IF IT DON'T RAIN AND NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS
THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF RAKING AND BALING OF HAY.
THE CHICKENS HAD GOTTEN INTO HIS WHEAT BIN
SCRATCHED AND SCATTERED GRAIN ALL AROUND,
HE NEEDED TO PLOW ANOTHER FIELD DOWN BY THE POND
BUT WITHOUT ANY RAIN, IT WAS JUST HARD GROUND.
THE HOGS HAD ROOTED UP HALF THE GARDEN
HE'D SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WITH EGGS AND HAM,
FLAKY HOT BISCUITS BAKED TO A GOLDEN BROWN
FRESH BREWED HOT COFFEE AND A JAR OF JAM.
THE BEES WERE BUSY IN THE APPLE ORCHARD
THE FLOWERS WERE IN FULL BLOOM,
THE OLD MAN WANTED TO PLANT ANOTHER ACRE OF TOBACCO
ALSO SOME-MORE CORN, IF THERE WAS ANY ROOM.
AS THE EVENING SHADOWS MOVED ACROSS THE MEADOW
THE COWS FOLLOWED THE PATH DOWN THE WINDING LANE,
THE OLD FARMER WALKED DOWN THE DUSTY ROAD
HE WAS LEANING HEAVY ON HIS WOODEN CANE.
HE HAD STARTED OUT TO THE PASTURE
IT SURE WAS A HARD LIFE LIVING ON A FARM,
HE WOULD HAVE TO CHECK ON THE MOTHER COWS
AND CARRY THE NEW BORN CALF BACK TO THE BARN.
THE SUN WAS SLOWLY LEAVING THE SKY
AS IT BEGAN TO HIDE BEHIND A STAND OF TREES,
THE SUMMER DAYS WERE HOT AND NO RAIN
THE FARMER WISHED FOR JUST ONE NICE BREEZE.
MAYBE HE SHOULD JUST MOVE TO THE CITY
THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH WORK TO DO,
BUT THEN HE THOUGHT OF HIS SWING ON THE FRONT PORCH
SITTING THERE HAVING A CHEW OF TOBACCO OR TWO.
HE COULDN'T TAKE HIS OLD FAITHFUL MULE
OR SEVEN HEAD OF CATTLE TIED WITH A ROPE,
HE WOULD JUST SAY A PRAYER AND TALK TO GOD
THERE WAS ALWAYS TOMORROW AND SOMEHOW HE WOULD COPE.
HE COULD HEAR A WHIP-POOR-WILL CALLING
SOON DARKNESS WOULD OVER-TAKE EVENING TWILIGHT,
AN OWL HOOTED AND JAKE BARKED AT A COYOTE
THESE WERE PEACEFUL SOUNDS IN THE COUNTRY AT NIGHT.
A DOZEN BULLFROGS WERE CROAKING DOWN AT THE POND
THE FISH WERE SETTLED DOWN VERY DEEP,
HE SMILED AT ALL THE MEMORIES HE CHERISHED
THE OLD FARM HE'D JUST HAVE TO KEEP.
WORKED HARD IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN,
BY THREE O'CLOCK HE WAS READY TO TAKE A NAP
BY OH MY, HARDLY ANY OF HIS WORK WAS DONE.
THE PLOW HAD TWO BROKEN POINTS
MAYBE HE COULD FILE THEM DOWN,
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER WEEK
BEFORE HE HEADED TOWARDS TOWN.
THE FARMER'S WIFE HAD DONE A BIG WASHING
THE CLOTHES WERE FLAPPING IN THE WIND,
SHE NEEDED SOME ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE
SHE HAD SOME BUTTER AND EGGS TO SEND.
HIS OLD BLACK PICK-UP TRUCK HAD A FLAT TIRE
IT WAS SITTING BY THE GARDEN GATE,
THE PAINT WAS PEELING AND RUSTY IN SPOTS
NO TIME TO FIX IT TODAY, THAT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT.
THE TRACTOR BROKE DOWN AND NEEDED FIXING
THE MULE GOT OUT AND TORE THE FENCE YESTERDAY,
IF IT DON'T RAIN AND NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS
THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF RAKING AND BALING OF HAY.
THE CHICKENS HAD GOTTEN INTO HIS WHEAT BIN
SCRATCHED AND SCATTERED GRAIN ALL AROUND,
HE NEEDED TO PLOW ANOTHER FIELD DOWN BY THE POND
BUT WITHOUT ANY RAIN, IT WAS JUST HARD GROUND.
THE HOGS HAD ROOTED UP HALF THE GARDEN
HE'D SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WITH EGGS AND HAM,
FLAKY HOT BISCUITS BAKED TO A GOLDEN BROWN
FRESH BREWED HOT COFFEE AND A JAR OF JAM.
THE BEES WERE BUSY IN THE APPLE ORCHARD
THE FLOWERS WERE IN FULL BLOOM,
THE OLD MAN WANTED TO PLANT ANOTHER ACRE OF TOBACCO
ALSO SOME-MORE CORN, IF THERE WAS ANY ROOM.
AS THE EVENING SHADOWS MOVED ACROSS THE MEADOW
THE COWS FOLLOWED THE PATH DOWN THE WINDING LANE,
THE OLD FARMER WALKED DOWN THE DUSTY ROAD
HE WAS LEANING HEAVY ON HIS WOODEN CANE.
HE HAD STARTED OUT TO THE PASTURE
IT SURE WAS A HARD LIFE LIVING ON A FARM,
HE WOULD HAVE TO CHECK ON THE MOTHER COWS
AND CARRY THE NEW BORN CALF BACK TO THE BARN.
THE SUN WAS SLOWLY LEAVING THE SKY
AS IT BEGAN TO HIDE BEHIND A STAND OF TREES,
THE SUMMER DAYS WERE HOT AND NO RAIN
THE FARMER WISHED FOR JUST ONE NICE BREEZE.
MAYBE HE SHOULD JUST MOVE TO THE CITY
THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH WORK TO DO,
BUT THEN HE THOUGHT OF HIS SWING ON THE FRONT PORCH
SITTING THERE HAVING A CHEW OF TOBACCO OR TWO.
HE COULDN'T TAKE HIS OLD FAITHFUL MULE
OR SEVEN HEAD OF CATTLE TIED WITH A ROPE,
HE WOULD JUST SAY A PRAYER AND TALK TO GOD
THERE WAS ALWAYS TOMORROW AND SOMEHOW HE WOULD COPE.
HE COULD HEAR A WHIP-POOR-WILL CALLING
SOON DARKNESS WOULD OVER-TAKE EVENING TWILIGHT,
AN OWL HOOTED AND JAKE BARKED AT A COYOTE
THESE WERE PEACEFUL SOUNDS IN THE COUNTRY AT NIGHT.
A DOZEN BULLFROGS WERE CROAKING DOWN AT THE POND
THE FISH WERE SETTLED DOWN VERY DEEP,
HE SMILED AT ALL THE MEMORIES HE CHERISHED
THE OLD FARM HE'D JUST HAVE TO KEEP.
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