The Farmer
Raised on a farm in the South, Father ended up farming most of his life. He loved the land, the growing things, and the animals. He went off to work early in the morning whistling and singing. We kids would tag along to work in the fields and secretly hope for early thunderstorms.
early morning stars
wet dew
the sound of roosters
When he was about to retire, he could no longer make a living as a farmer. Elderly, he had trouble finding work in the rural area of the South where he lived. The only job he could find was working for a chicken processing plant. They had thousands of chickens crammed in cages and behind wire fences awaiting slaughter.
They gave him a job using a heating iron to burn off part of the chickens’ beaks, so the they would not damage each other through pecking.
He lasted a week
Making pets of them all
started smoking again
(Published Haibun Today - 2008)
Copyright © Thomas Martin | Year Posted 2015
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