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Sunday, January 22, 2012

The Old Family Farm

Photograph by Margaret Bednar
His daddy was the last of five generations
Born on the old family farm.
For over one hundred years
They scraped their existence
From the rich prairie soils.
The farm should have been his,
But after the drought, the fire, Mama…
Daddy just had nothing left to give
And the bank foreclosed.

Now every day he drives past
On his way to that jail cell cubicle,
His heart breaking at the sight:
Barn about to tumble to the ground, 
Mama’s roses lost to the overgrown yard,
And his hands still ache
To dig through the rich prairie soils
On the farm that should have been his.

5 comments:

Kerry O'Connor said...

You have translated the pathos of this photo into words.

Margaret said...

...had nothing left to give

beautiful. Perhaps he had a bit left, near the end as his hands ached for the soil, but by that time it was too late. One's heart just can't help but cry out for these old structures!

Scarlet said...

This is so sad..you have painted the farm and the family's hearbreak very well ~

booguloo said...

What a beautiful poem and picture.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

A perfect and poignant depiction of the story in the photograph.