Notes About The Poem

Yesterday my friend and I took the tractor with Grazon (a herbicide for backberries) around the farm for about two hours of spraying. Things were going great until the gears slipped out and we went into freefall down the hillside toward a cliff edge, that's when a boulder miraculously got caught in the back wheel. We managed to fix the transmission and complete the rest of the job. p.s. will probably get the brakes fixed.

Tractors, Rocks and Hills

Eternal rocks guard the hill, 
Guard it from the machine,
Guard it from the tractors tread, 
Protecting the beautiful green,

Like the day we needed to spray the hill, 
To clear the blackberry bramble,
When we drove the tractor, packed with poison, 
Through the rockiest ramble,

You see, we forgot the brakes didn’t work, 
And the transmission wasn’t quite right,
We forgot the laws of gravity would win, 
Over the tractors might,

When the gears popped out, and the roll began, 
Straight to the cliff ahead,
That’s when the boulder grabbed onto the tyre, 
And held us there instead,

I think, that day, eternal rocks gave warning, 
About who’s the actual boss,
And they are the rocks protecting life on the hill, 
The rocks all covered in moss.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2018

Poem

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Delaney Avatar
February 25, 2018 at 7:49 AM
Great story. You must have been so relieved after such a close call.
S     Avatar
February 21, 2018 at 3:36 PM
Lewis!!! My gosh!!! Thank God you are okay!! Great story and poem! Judy
Raynes Avatar
February 21, 2018 at 8:56 PM
Thank you Judy, it was a great day spray. :)
Roper Avatar
February 18, 2018 at 9:57 AM
oh wow,,, I can just see the actual day in your verse.. Blessing on that day..I love this wonderful verse.. ... Hugs Eve ~`*
Raynes Avatar
February 18, 2018 at 6:28 PM
thank you Eve, it was a bit out of my control for a moment. thanks :)
Dietrich Avatar
February 16, 2018 at 8:57 PM
wow, WHAT a story. Thank goodness you lived to tell it. Similar things have happened to my hubbie on his Bobcat machine, rollovers and such. Great description of the event
Raynes Avatar
February 18, 2018 at 6:27 PM
Thanks Andrea, yep it was a bit touch and go, ur husband needs to be careful and aware :)
Gauthier Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 10:04 PM
Great poem, Lewis. Well crafted poem.
Raynes Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 10:05 PM
thank you Line
Rodrigues Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 7:55 PM
Wow! A beautiful poem and true too! Nice write!
Raynes Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 7:56 PM
thank you Kim
De Beaulieu Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 5:06 PM
Lewis Raynes, rocks can get in the way of machinery. Be careful with the tractor. have a nice day my friend.
Raynes Avatar
February 15, 2018 at 5:18 PM
turns out yep, just as well, will avoid that section of the farm next time and just use the quad bike up there I think :)
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