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)